Band-Aid

Oil paint is a type of slow-drying paint that consists of particles of pigment suspended in a drying oil, commonly linseed oil. The viscosity of the paint may be modified by the addition of a solvent such as turpentine or white spirit, and varnish may be added to increase the glossiness of the dried film. Oil paints have been used in Europe since the 12th century for simple decoration, but were not widely adopted as an artistic medium until the early 15th century. Common modern applications of oil paint are in finishing and protection of wood in buildings and exposed metal structures such as ships and bridges. Its hard-wearing properties and luminous colors make it desirable for both interior and exterior use on wood and metal. Due to its slow-drying properties, it has recently been used in paint-on-glass animation. Thickness of coat has considerable bearing on time required for drying: thin coats of oil paint dry relatively quickly. Ken Keirns is a Northern California artist who grew up in Flint, Michigan. After spending nearly a decade in Chicago, Ken moved out West in late 2007 to paint full-time and complain about the lack of snow. While his primary focus has been working with oil paint, he has been known to deliver the odd sculpture, toy prototype or mixed media piece. His recurrent subject matter revolves around cranially endowed women and monkeys interlaced with personal experiences, dreams, and the occasional bad pun. Ken's education was in graphic design. He only took a few formal painting classes -- he is mostly self-taught through research and trial & error.