​Yeah! I found one of my Unforgettable Faces from my Unforgettable Faces Project.

I hadn't see this fellow for quite a while and today I saw him in the streets. I admit I panicked, ran home got the painting and zipped off down the streets of Banos, to the market (market day is today) to look for him.

I looked and looked and showed his painting to various vendors and they had all said he went home for the day.

So, I sadly took a taxi to go home. I really wanted to give this to him today. While I was in the taxi, I asked under my breath, to the powers that be, "please let me see the "bee man" today. Out the corner of my eye, there he was happily walking down the street with a smile on his face just as sunny as our day.

This man has been selling his honey, since we moved here. The honey has a hint of eucalyptus from the local trees. He always has good honey and bee pollen to sell, but his smiles are free. He is one of my wonderful memories of living here in Banos, Tungurahua Ecuador.

I love the hugs, smiles and kisses that I get paid doing this project. Life is good.

This painting is done with Derwent watercolor paper A4) for watercolor pencils, windsor and newton watercolor markers and black ink.

This posting is about "donkey-ing" art supplies into Ecuador from Canada, and passing through the US. This article will hopefully give you some what to expect and what to be cautious of when bringing down these things into another country.

My partner brought down some art supplies (aka my art porn) and cooking equipment (aka his cooking porn) our dangerous hoarding addictions into this country: stuff you can't purchase or get here.

Most of the time, there is no problem bringing in stuff into your checking baggage, though TSA often check it and leave a little "was here and checked it" ticket.

This time, he did have some art equipment (ultrasonic jewelry cleaner) in his "carry on" that got the border people got a little jumpy. I guess on Xray, these machines look like a potential problem.  He was in fear of the rubber glove treatment. My partner explained what the ultrasonic cleaner was and that it is used to clean fine mechanical pens and fountain pens.  He had taken it out of the box for easier and more compact travel, so without the instructions or clear identification it was unclear what it was, as the machine only says magnasonic, not magnasonic jewelry cleaner.  The border guards begrudgingly let it through.

So if you are bringing an Ultrasonic cleaner or another machine down, put it in your check in baggage but realize that it could stir TSA up and they will look in your luggage, maybe with you there.  Don't be scared, you haven't done anything wrong, the border just wants to check and make sure it is safe for everyone on board the plane.  They are doing their job.  

Several years ago, I brought down some Dr. Ph Martin paints and inks in glass eye dropper 1 oz bottles.  These were put in my check in baggage and I thought nothing of it.  

Then in Quito airport, the border people, asked me to open the baggage to seize the perfume I was illegally bringing in, or they were going to tax me to bring it in, whatever.  I couldn't figure out what the heck they were referring to.... until I opened the bag and there were my paints.  Ahhhhhh, got it.

I then showed the customs guard that it was paint not perfume and that I am an artist, whereby I showed him my art journal.  His mental lights went on and he smiled and passed me right through.  I thanked him for checking, shook his hand, said have a great evening and left.  

Now please understand, I did not do all the thanking and shaking hand thing to be a suck, or an butt kisser, I did it in accordance with good manners of Ecuador.  

Being cooperative and using good manners makes all this kind of transition thing easier, more pleasant and to be honest polite and respectful of peoples jobs.  Good manners, will get you far in life and are not compromising in any way, they often diffuse a difficult situation into something as a momentary blip in your day.

Some "good" art supplies, or cooking equipment that can't be bought or acquired here can be ordered and shipped by post or can be donkey'ed down often worry free.  I do most of my art supplies purchasing from Ebay or Amazon, in some cases they will ship it directly to Ecuador at a reasonable cost but be aware there may be more postal or tax extras when picking them up at the post office.

​Asking and receiving

I have been working on the computer a lot so it might not look like I am creating art but I am.

I am always in awe of the belief and faith that people here can have. This woman was such a tiny person but she had a big presence that I found captivating.

The first painting is called "asking"and the second is called "receiving".

Obviously, the second one is at this point only graphite layout to be rendered (painted) in windsor and newton watercolor markers like the first one is. The backgrounds are both done in Dr. Ph Martin bombay inks. Both are painted on A4 Derwent watercolor paper for watercolor pencils.

These pictures are taken in front of the church here in Banos Tungurahua, Ecuador.

​This painting is more of a doodle really, but it definitely expresses how I feel about certain important terminologies in art. It can be so confusing. I want to straighten it out for your and make it easy to understand, to use this information to help guide you to what to bring with you when you travel and create art. The important ideas for the day are permanent and light fast and to a lesser degree water proof.
Many people don't fully understand these to very important terminologies that art supply companies use. "Permanent" means that the product will not move once it is on a porous surface when thoroughly dry. See that: porous surface. This fine printing on this definition is that some of these products when exposed to water on a non-porous surface will just lift off or when exposed to light will just fade away. (waterproof is different yet again.) Get this difference? It is kind of simple but scary when you invest in your art budget or make valuable room for supplies in your luggage.

Light fast means that when the product is exposed to light, depending on the pigments used, will resist fading when exposed to "indirect" light. The few responsible companies who test for this know that some dyes and pigments will resist or not resist fading and use 1 of 2 scales to tell you the results. These scales are regulated and controlled. Some pigments will just fade away and some seem to just fight back. For me, as an artist who sells my work and want to have a good solid product for my clients, I take light fastness seriously and it affects what I buy and what I use.

For my personal art, like journalling or maquettes for future paintings, I will use the lesser quality, lesser light fast products but NEVER for sale.

I was recently disappointed from 2 products, and they were gel pens and a "Derwent" product called "Inktense". I knew that the gel pen was not light fast but I did not realize that some gel pens are light fast to 2 weeks, inside my journal not exposed to light at all with a complete fade, leaving only pen impressions in the paper...I had to repaint over some art I made.

Normally, I expect and get and love the good quality out of "Derwent" but I did not read the fine print on "Inktense". These are said to be water soluble ink in either pencil or block that when dry are "permanent" and this is true to a degree. This is also an expensive investment. It is not however, light fast. This is where I got caught. This product is truly beautiful, versatile, fun and intense in color but not light fast. Disappointing, but also my own fault for not looking for the detail information. Not anywhere on product information did it refer to light fast.

None of the original art created from those products will go for sale as I take my art for sale seriously and responsibly, I can however make prints of the "Inktense" art pieces and have those for sale.

The last product that I want to talk about is copic or alcohol markers.... Folks these markers are beautiful, colorful, blend able, expensive and so NOT light fast. A caution or red light to be aware of is tints or dyes, these are usually unstable in light. So when purchasing these products, it is not necessarily a good one to use when you wish to sell the original, Sorry.

For the pleasure of using markers, I personally use Windsor and Newton watercolor markers, as they are light fast and proudly say that as these markers were thoroughly tested, and also Letraset aqua markers (now owned by Windsor and Newton). (no they do not sponsor me! It is what I have in my studio and my experience talking) These are not alcohol markers but I like the option of working them as a marker and also watercolors. They are more flexible for my needs. (You can also convert old markers into more light fast if you reload them with your preferred pigments, but that will be another article.) W&N do have an alcohol marker line but you have to look up their light fast quality.

To sum everything up, just because a product is expensive does not mean it is permanent, water proof, light fast or easy to use. Please consider this when you travel or move. Most of the really good artist (light fast) quality pigments are best to buy and bring with you, as they can be hard world wide. Know the details of your products. Look for light fast when you make purchases if you want those products to last through the ages, if not use whatever you like. Since I live in Ecuador, where the light quality is so strong intense that it will happily eat through many products, I search for light fast. I have literally seen projects disappear and fade within days.

This article is to help you purchase and purchase wisely especially if you move or travel to places where you need to consider these factors. This is one place to invest your art dollars, in pigments, paints and products that are worthy of it. Here is an information blog from Jerry's Artarama that helps to explain these things too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EBMFH9_pPE
(this art is 5x7 cart on bristol board, with Kor-i-noor polychromos colored pencil.)