Smelly air and sticky fingers

Been varnishing today. One of these days I'm going to learn to put on latex gloves or invest in barrier cream, but today isn't that day... My hands are sticky and I'm expecting to pet the dog and pull away furry and looking like I'm growing tiny new dogs from my hands...

I've been moving away from a Winsor and Newton matt varnish for my oil paintings and trying Jackson's own brand. It's thinner, but that means it goes on smooth and quick with minimal brush strokes and the drying time is definitely improved. It is hella smelly though. I've got the window to the studio open but it is hard to flush five large paintings worth of varnish stink out of a room.

On the upside, I've varnished five oil paintings this morning. Huzzah! Now I think I'll go try scrubbing my hands again...