"By The Creek"

($100.00.....6" x 6".....painted on a gessobord...presented in a frame)


"A morning by the creek is perfect!" Getting outdoors early in the morning is a special treat. It's even better when painting with friends. This particular scene was painted at Brushy Creek here in Austin.

So often I feel like I sound like a broken record when repeating that it takes a spontaneous technique to get a spontaneous result. Such is the case in this piece. This is an oil painting created with a palette knife. It can be very tempting to pick up a brush, but perseverance will be rewarded if you don't.

The quote is inscribed into the right hand edge going up the side vertically. I used a toothpick to write the quote. The lack of detail and erratic marks are the charming things about this technique.

Once again, attention has to be paid to division of space and values. When painting wet-into-wet it is important not to lay down too much paint in the first layer. It is also important to lay down a stroke and leave it alone. Colors will become muddy and lose their sparkling appearance if you keep "fussing". This type of painting is all about capturing the "essence" of something and then leaving it alone. It did help me to work with a double palette of warm and cool colors. I still have a lot of practice to do with the palette knife, but a girl has to start somewhere! Just playing around with this method of application will give you lots of fun and lots of erratic edges. Just something you might want to try or think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.