Katharine Krieg

Rainy Day Activity That Won't Break the Bank or Burn Down the Studio Jan Vermeer "The Art of Painting" 1666 Use of mahl stick A mahl stick is an aid painters use to steady their hand while painting. Like me, they have found that trying to hold their hand rock still when making thin, controlled tree branches or tiny highlights usually ends up with the fat heel of their palm smearing across the surface of wet paint. This then leads to swear words or some animal-like scream of despair that echoes through the neighborhood which can frighten your neighbor's kids and lead to inquisitive police officers at your door. Most importantly, a wayward hand on your canvas undoes lots of hard work. The mahl stick is usually a stick approximately 3 feet long made of wood or aluminum with a padded end covered in suede. I have been using a cheap wooden yard stick from Sleepy's Mattress and before that, a cane I inherited from a relative after their foot surgery (...