Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Got Milk?


Painters and artists should be proud to know that their craft has been appreciated for at least a quarter of a billion years (according to Past Horizons and sciencedaily.com) or 125,000 years ago in South Africa (according to archeology.org).  Yes, you read correctly.  People have been wagging their brushes for eons and now a new paint mixture has been discovered.  The earliest form of paints were made of ochre which is any of various natural earths containing ferric oxide, silica, andalumina that are used as yellow or red pigments.  Now a research team led by the University of Colorado Boulder and the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa has discovered a milk-and ochre-based paint.  It is said to date back 49,000 years. 


It is unclear what paint was used for.  Some speculate it could be used for body decorating, painting objects such as wood and stone, or some sacred significance because of the use of the milk.  What every the use, it’s good to know that artist have been doing their thing since the dawn of time! 


To learn more about Violette, visit www.violettemeier.com

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