This trip I decided to try a new-to-me product that would make traveling with oil paint a bit easier. These are called water-miscible oils; true oil pigments that contain a modified oil binder that can be thinned with water rather than solvent. Normally I used only small amounts of Gamblin Gamsol odorless mineral spirits for the initial wash of paint onto the canvas and for cleaning brushes. I've tried going without it, but struggled with sticky paint and messy cleanup. My routine when traveling, since airlines do not allow flammable materials on planes, has been to hit up an art store upon arrival and buying a small bottle of mineral spirits, which can be a hassle in a foreign country. Many artists have switched to alternatives, such as watercolor, acrylic, gauche, and water-miscible oils. After much research I decided to try the latter and read that Royal Talens Cobra paints were well liked for their buttery consistency. I would agree now that I've used them! They were so easy to work with and cleaning was a breeze...warm water and dish soap. They have very rich chroma and are so juicy that medium (to increase fluidity) was not needed. The best part was that I could use a bit of water to wash on a thin first layer of paint; an important step in the "lean to fat" oil ratio rule.