A lovely vlog, Mandy, thank you! Looking forward to seeing your next video about the Lucas paints 😊 I share your worries about the catastrophic mass death of the insects. This year with 2 months heatwave (this far) here in Finland, we've had an amazing amount of butterflies , which is lovely and worrying at the same time. Mediterranean butterflies and birds this far north is one of the signs of the earth heating up. It makes me sad and anxious. Thankfully more and more people are waking up! ❤️

@MandyvanGoeije

3 жыл бұрын

OMG, there was a heat wave in Finland too? I didn't know that. I fully recognize what you say about the changes in nature being lovely and hopelessly worrisome at the same time. Some insects really should NOT be moving upwards into the directions of the arctic regions. Here in the Netherlands we have lots of Griffon vultures from the South every summer. People get excited by that. It gives me a belly ache. Yes, they are beautiful. But the only reason why they come here is because down South there's not enough food for them. And even worse...here cadavres are cleared away, even in nature areas, so the vultures will find no food here at all. The idea alone gives me a stomach ache. Or the birds in our garden. We have a great many. But many species wouldn't think of approaching humans if there were enough food in the fields. We see it. But not many people do. It's hard, seeing it, isn't it? And a bit lonely too, at times. I'm glad there's the internet...

Wow... the Lukas tubes are looking so different from what you will see in a store today. It's actually surprising to see that they look similar to a 25 ml Sennelier Tube. Anyway... the Lukas watercolor tubes are so chunky today. They made me giggles quite a bit once I got my tubes of Naples Yellow and Viridian the other day. But I have to say there is a pro too. The tubes are easier to open now.

@MandyvanGoeije

3 жыл бұрын

Yes, these old tubes are cute and small compared to the chunky tubes they sell now. The pro of easier opening and closing is a huge PRO. I've just recorded a swatching/review of the 48 set and you will see me being clumsy with the tiny caps indeed :-)

I haven’t enjoyed Lukas much so far, but I see so much absolutely gorgeous work done using them. I have a few half pans and will give them another try, whenever I have time again! P.S. I’ve heard the same thing about not wearing reading glasses all the time, so as to give your eyes a chance to try to focus on their own and “stay in shape.” I, too, have been resisting…

@MandyvanGoeije

3 жыл бұрын

Hehehe....brave resistance! Until you need to sort out pigment numbers on half pan packages...hehe. Blimey! You've have had the same experience as I had...I see such gorgeous art work made with Lukas. And yet, it doesn't really feel that nice to work with. I've just recorded an extensive swatch and review and as much as I want to like this paint (or else I've have spent such money on something that makes me sad), I can't say I really do. With the paints I have to choose from, I'd never choose Lukas for anything but my sketchbook, I'm afraid. But I do acknowlegde that with my collection of paints I'm in a super-priviledged situation.

Insects are part of the degenerative or destructive cycle that is the flip side of the generative or creative cycle. Some of them cross over as well. I watch them a lot. When I moved here last year all I could see was grass, it didn’t look promising but it turned out it is a wildflower lawn and the insects moved in! Add a few pots and a raised bed and the garden is coming alive. I have missed ladybirds this year as not all the insects are useful, aphids need a predator preferably not us. I have a creature I had never seen before, looked a bit aggressive, it is called the devil’s coach horse, and looks like a miniature black scorpion - it is also a fast mover! I have a nice Lukas set of 24 half pans and a couple of those HUGE tubes they do. I like them a lot. Interesting video, and some important take away from it. I like to coexist with insects but will admit this year that I could do without the flies our unusually hot weather has brought.

@MandyvanGoeije

3 жыл бұрын

Hi Lindy, I'm sorry to hear you're in the unusually hot weather. Are you good with heat? And could you tell me what you like about Lukas watercolors? I've just swatched and reviewed the 48 set and even though it wasn't as bad as I feared it might be in this video, I'm not enthusiastic. So I'd love to hear positive experiences as well. I might be overlooking something. The devil's coach horse...wow, what an insect! We have them here too, but I haven't seen any recently. There's so many fascinating insects to be seen. Personally I am fascinated by weevils. They are so infinitely small, but if you look up macro photos of them, most look incredibly cute. And that snout of theirs...it makes them hopelessly and charmingly clumsy. I know...they do not exist to please me, but I can't help being enchanted by them :-) So lovely you are growing a garden to cultivate life. I wish more people did. It's so incredibly important and interesting...

Apparently you're in an area not affected by the flooding. Glad you're safe. A snail crawled along my window the other day. Then it stopped and curled inside its shell. I didn't know if it was resting or if it had died until its shell fell off, and thete was just a little bit of body left. We've been getting Saharan dust here in Houston and, since snails only have one lung, I wondered if its breathing mechanism couldn't cope with the dust in the air. Climate change is no doubt affecting all kinds of things we're not even aware of.

@MandyvanGoeije

3 жыл бұрын

No, we weren't affected by the flooding at all, so we are safe. In fact...while the flooded area was dealing with that disaster, we were having lovely, temperate summer weather. It was odd, knowing many were facing an ordeal at that time. And that nearby too. Interesting thoughts about the snail. I've noticed so many snails climbing up and staying put. Sometimes I pick them up to put them between the plants. But often their shells break. It made me wonder if they are okay or if they are ill and are going to die. As I type, I see one on the wall of our shed. It's been up there for two days. I'm going to keep an eye on its shell now. I never knew the could drop that. Poor thing. I wonder indeed if climate change brings this snail climb about. I've never seen so many climb up as this year. I didn't know snails have only one lung. I wonder what such heat or dust would mean to them indeed. Hm...I might dive into a book on insects this afternoon to see what I can find...

Yeah, presbyopia sucks😕😂 I resisted getting reading glasses until my colleagues at the museum shop showed me that I was confusing 3's and 8's when we were doing inventory. Not a good time to be inaccurate with your numbers!😕

@MandyvanGoeije

3 жыл бұрын

Hehe...no, that would be a good moment to go look for some nice glasses :-)

Don't bother buying the new Lukas..mission gold is nicer in my estimation and it is also low flow.

@marjoriejohnson6535

3 жыл бұрын

I should have added that I prefer transparent colors ..also....love your understanding the place of insects in the environment...I wish more people did.

@MandyvanGoeije

3 жыл бұрын

I agree with you there, Marjorie. I am not a huge fan of Mission Gold for its lack of flow, but at least the colors don't seemed dulled down or as opaque. And yes, I too prefer transparent luminous colors. It made me wonder if Lukas is indeed a lesser paint or that it's just my taste, so I sought that out in the review/swatching I just recorded.