Oil Paints in the 1800s

In AT LIBERTY TO LOVE, book seven of the Texas Romance series and my newest release, my hero Marcus Ford is an artist. This gave me cause to investigate the early history of oil painting.

It surprised me to discover that my Marcus couldn’t go and purchase tubes of color at the nearby general store. He couldn’t even order them through the catalogues. Instead, he purchase powered pigments and blended them with his own bases.


The first patent for a pigment with zinc and linseed oil—closet to what we know today as oil paints—came in 1865, the year Marcus met my heroine Rebecca Rusk. So he didn’t have access to it yet, but would in the years soon to come. However my story only covers 1865 and 1866, the years succeeding the Civil War, resulting in the necessity of him mixing his own colors with pigments and a solvent.

Up until that time, the colorings were ground into a fine powder by stone, and men used various vehicles such as linseed, coconut or soy oils to blend their tints into their oil-based paints. Later poppy seed oil became a popular base. Most mixtures also involved petroleum mineral spirits to get the desired consistency, which varied from artist to artist. The spirits were also used to clean the brushes.

The thick, greasy consistency of the paint caused it to dry slowly, allowing pigments to be blended, worked, and corrected right on the canvas. This simplified shading and modeling for the artiest.

In AT LIBERTY TO LOVE, Mary Rachel’s husband Jethro Risen commissions Marcus to paint a family portrait. He used a stretched canvas and painted on an easel from sketches of both the people and backgrounds. He also earned money to pay passage from painting landscapes and ceramics. Selling his early works, including portraits of his dead wife, caused him much regret.

I should think that would be hard for any artist. If I loved a work, I’d want to keep it…or give it away. I’m blessed as a novelist I get to keep it and share it! Same with my new songs the Lord gives to me.

Speaking of which, I hope you’ll visit my YouTube channel and hear a couple of them. Subscribe while you’re there so you won’t miss any of the new ones

BIO: Born in Long Beach, California, Caryl got to Texas at the too-young-to-remember-anything-else age of six months then celebrated her first birthday as a Texan. In Northwest Dallas, the Letot Elementary seventh grader wrote an essay on ‘What will you be doing in 2000?’ Looking into the future, the imaginative girl saw herself as an inter-galactically famous author, streaking from planet to planet to sign books. writers' c     She married her high school sweetheart Ron forty-eight years ago, and they enjoy four children and sixteen grandsugars.
     God directed her to the DFW Writers’ Workshop in ’93 where published authors took Caryl under their wings and mentored her. Six years later, her first non-fiction was published, and for the next nine years, attending weekly read and critique sessions, she averaged a title a year from four presses: two non-fiction, four novels, and three mid-grade chapter books.

     In March, 2008, she and Ron left Irving to follow God’s leading to Red River County in far North East Texas. They founded the Red River Writers’ Workshop, met Mary Sue Seymour--NY agent--at a writers' conference, then The Seymour Agency sold her historical romance VOW UNBROKEN to Howard Books, an division of Simon & Schuster. 

     She's dedicated to serving God through her writing and praise and worship—He frequently gives her new song. Caryl believes all good things are from Him and prays that her books will minister His love, mercy, and grace to all of her readers, young and old.  


Links:  All Books   At Liberty to Love   BookBub   Website   Newsletter   Facebook    Blog   GoodReads    Google+    LinkedIn    Twitter    Pinterest   YouTube Hear the new songs God gives Caryl!

Days of Old

The 1836 Courthouse, setting for the Murder Trial re-enactment.

Love History? Enjoy antiques?

Recently invited by my friend Lenda Selph and husband Terry to join them for a re-enactment of an 1844 murder trial, I jumped at the opportunity. I've always enjoyed double dating! With husbands up front and we ladies in the back, our quartet headed to Historic Washington, Arkansas on a Saturday evening for dinner at The Williams' Tavern before the trial. Another couple from my Luncheon Ladies and Famished Fellers group, Louise and Richard Koiner joined us there!

  

The Williams' Tavern Restaurant was built in 1832, the year
my VOW UNBROKEN heroine Susannah took her cotton to
market on the Jefferson Trace.

Wow! Wow! Wow! I fell in love with the awesome little town, also designated as a state park. And since I 'accidently' left my new Verizon tablet on the bench in the dimmed courthouse--I took it out while digging in my purse for a piece of paper or business card--I had to return the next week!

That time I went during the day with two of the Luncheon Ladies, Louise and Patricia Abbott for lunch with the park ranger and interpreter, now friend Leita Spears (she played a part in the re-enactment. The murder happened at her house on her front porch! It turned into a great afternoon seeing even more of the town!

(L-R) Leita, me, Tricia, and Louise at the
836 courthouse.

I can guarantee you will not be sorry to take the time to visit Historical Washington. It's a fantastic destination for a family weekend! They have many wonderful events besides the trial, too. Today, February 19, is Frontier Days for Homeschools and tomorrow, Frontier Days at the Hill of Five Trails. Fun events like that and in March, the Jonquil Festival!

I'll be there that weekend for a WordWyse Author Event with some of my author friends to sign books as a part of the event! You can look for us at the Morrison Tavern right on the main drag! I hope you come for a lovely weekend!

The Morrison Tavern is a reconstruction of an 1830s inn built by the
Pioneer Washington Restoration Foundation in 1960 using a donation
from William and Lucille Hart King. Its look was based off an original
19th-century building that once stood at this same location.

Other events they have to delight everyone in the family are: 'Shakespear in the Park' Performances and Workshops, Knife-Making Class, Skillets, Griddles, and Fireside Cooking series, Basics for Knitting, Gardening Basics for Spring, Rug Making Workshop, Candle Marking, and a Medicinal Herb Program just to name a few!

I particularly loved the town because its buildings and fun setting are from the same time period as my Texas Romance historical Romance series set just a two hour drive away (in a present day car) in Red River County, far Northeast Texas.

My Texas Romance covers that came alive for me in a new way visiting Historic Washington State Park in Arkansas!

So here's the link in order for you to click and peruse for yourself all the great offerings Historic Washington Calendar of Events offers for your family! I give it a FIVE STAR ranking and highly recommend it! Also a few more photos :)

Meet one of  the many volunteers at the park who dresses the part of an 1800 woman and tells park visitors all about the hisotry of the buildings and area. This is Cynthia Wallace with me and Tricia and Louise in the old 1836 Courthouse.





Below is the school house built in 1914. The building served as the second public school building for the town of Washington. Today, it is available for rent by the public for various events and group activities. Bunk rooms are available for overnight lodging. 

Begin your tour at Old Washington here! This grand, circa 1874 building was the county courthouse for Hempstead County from 1874 to 1939. It was the last courthouse to be built in Washington. It now serves as the Historic Washington State Park’s  visitor center and gift shop.  

I'm also planning another WordWyse Author Event in the fall...a Writers' Retreat. Let me know if you'd like to participate. We'll be staying in the Schoolhouse in a dorm environment! Can't wait!

Bio: Caryl McAdoo is all about loving God! She currently writes
four series: the historical Christian ‘Texas Romance’; a contemporary ‘Red River Romance’; The Generations, her Biblical fiction, and the newest Days of Dread Trilogy for mid-grade readers. Known as the Singing Pray-er, she loves praising with new songs the Lord gives her and prays her story gives God glory! In 2008, she and her high school sweetheart-husband Ron moved from the DFW area—home for fifty-plus years—to the woods of Red River County. Caryl counts four children and sixteen grandsugars life’s biggest blessings believing all good things come from God. Besides glorifying Him, she hopes each title will also minister His love, mercy, and grace to its readers. Caryl and Ron live in Clarksville, the county seat, in the far northeast corner of the Lone Star State with two grandsons.

Author Links:  Website    All Books    Newsletter     Facebook     Blog    GoodReads  Google+     Twitter     Pinterest