audrey ~ gouache, watercolors, colored pencil, oil pastel and beeswax on teabaga few weeks ago a friend told me about the spray fixative, PYM II... at the time i was using krylon low odor, which in my opinion is anything but low odor, but it was one of the least toxic fixatives that i could find, so i got it. PYM II sounded good... it does not carry a CA prop 65 label and it's 'VOC exempt'. while it smells awful when you're spraying it, within a couple of minutes 95% of the smell is gone, and within a couple of hours there is literally no smell at all. the beeswax smells just like beeswax again...
this is how stiff audrey is with her beeswax and PYM II coating.i wrote to the folks at PYM II as soon as i got it to ask if it was compatible with beeswax. within hours i got an answer from doug, the man who came up with the PYM II formula. here's the gist of what he said:
"You have given me a very good question....
I had to look up the chemical formula for beeswax. C15H31COOC30H61 that includes oleate esters of long-chain (30-32 carbons). Beeswax is a tough wax formed from a mixture of several compounds. TBAc is CH3COOC4H9 is the solvent in PYM II and is very similar to beeswax (tert-butyl ester) ...Yes it should have a good bond..."
gouache, watercolors, colored pencil, oil pastel and beeswax on teabag in milton bookin case it's helpful, i wanted to pass this on to you... i've sprayed all of the beeswax pages in my book with it.
gouache, watercolors, colored pencil, oil pastel and beeswax on teabag in milton bookit's slightly shiny, but not really as shiny as these pics make it appear.
adele ~ gouache, watercolors, colored pencil, oil pastel and beeswax on teabag in milton bookinitially i left a few wax pages unsprayed, and then left my book out in the sun (what was i thinking?). there was no comparison between what happened to the sprayed and unsprayed pages. the unsprayed ones stuck like crazy (i.e. a lot of wax came off on the opposing page), while the sprayed ones were slightly sticky, but the wax was firmly in place.
it comes in an aerosol and a non aerosol (finger pump) version... i just bought the non aerosol to see how it works.
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shasta lilyXO
I'm impressed by by the science and blown away by the artistic effects and Delphine over there is tempting me :o)
ReplyDeleteThanks for your research, experiment, report, and beautiful art. I was wondering what the purpose of the PYM II was and then I think yo answered that.
ReplyDeleteLovely One, will this seal watercolors like twinkling h2os and inktense? I have been looking for something like that with less odor.
ReplyDeleteYour waxy bookpages are looking like petroglyphes of sorts. Imagine someone from the future coming upon them when opening the pages...
xoxoxo
Audrey is so tiny! Soon you'll be painting on the head of a pin!! I love Adele. I think she has lived in the same apartment in NYC for her entire adult life. She works in an old fashioned ladies dress store as the bookeeper and on Wed night she plays kanasta with "the girls".
ReplyDeleteThanks for the pym info, don't know if it's available in Canada. I have been using the krylon (which stinks) when I use conte crayon, which I love. I spray outside and then leave the piece outside for a while because of the odour. It would be nice to use something less toxic.
Interesting-I was gong to ask the purpose of fixing the pages in your book but you answered that one at the end-I have not done beeswax in a book before so did not know they stuck-though I have experienced that with acrylics and pages coated with acrylic medium where I have stuck something in.
ReplyDeleteI think the blue was cobalt!
Lovely art...and great tip on the fixative!
ReplyDeletexo
Hei Lynne,
ReplyDeletethanks for being out on the 'cutting' edge there.
the chemistry means absolutely nothing to me(it could be rocks and coconuts for all I know), but the first hand review means everything.
Best to you,
Dan
I love each piece, so much fun to see and hear about what you are creating. You know I have not used fixatives yet, I suppose it is time, ha. I just finish a piece and put it aside.
ReplyDeleteoh and your lily photograph, gorgeous capture, magical flower!
ReplyDeleteI have never heard of this product..I can not tell how shiney it really is, so I guess you will have to send me the Milton book when you have completed it so I can see..LOL..HEEHEE...
ReplyDeleteWow the chemist is over my head but the results I can understand. You are always sending us out for a new product..
Hugs,
Katelen
Wow, I love these pieces. I shall be on the lookout for the PYMII, not sure if it's available here locally but thanks for the recommendation.
ReplyDeleteThese pieces positively glow on my screen. The effect is delicious.
xoxo Kim
loving Adele and the little birdy.....
ReplyDeleteI think it's pretty cool how when you called the company, you got the chemist himself and the answers you were looking for. Now that's customer service! lol.
I like your beeswax on teabags pages, Lynne, and I think i will try that PYM stuff- if it works on beeswax, that's a good sign!
ReplyDeleteyour generosity is as beautiful as the paintings that come to life at your finger tips....
ReplyDeletethe white lily waiting at the end?
a holy fire that immediately torched my heart with unabashed love.