"Focus on Beauty"

($40.00.....6" x 6".....Water Soluble Oils on Gessobord)

"Focus on beauty to achieve the best." There are only two things that pierce the heart...beauty and affliction. So far, I have never met a person who wants to focus on affliction. However, it is a fact of life that affliction happens and the more affliction we experience, the more beauty we need.

It is very clear to see in this painting that have a staggered tree line and trees that are in varying distances from the viewer creating a far more interesting scene than if everything were placed on the same horizon line. So this is something you might want to consider when choosing a good photo op or simply going outside and painting. 

Yesterday, I had the urge to swipe my palette knife across the entire painting. Today, I had the urge to write in the negative spaces. So after deciding that was my plan, I painted a darker, less intense purple over the entire piece. After painting a much lighter purple for the sky, I wrote the title of this piece with a Mitchell #6 nib. (for those who do not letter, this is a very small broad edged pen.) It will remove more of the paint than a pointed pen, so it is a good choice for inscribing into paint. Of course, the background trees covered part of the lettering, but there are still traces that give a sense of mystery to the viewer. It's like hiding a surprise within the painting. 

You have the option of making the inscription really stand out by increasing the contrast between the first and second layer of paint or by making it subtle by decreasing the value between the two layers. It's a fun possibility to explore and it is definitely the direction I want to pursue. There is also lettering in the foreground snow, but it was a bit too prominent so a swiped over part of it with my palette knife. Again, it creates a sense of mystery and a bit of texture.

And of course, the entire quote is inscribed vertically along the right side. The other interesting thing about this piece is selecting the values for the trees. We all know they are green, but obviously, they are a very low intensity green. I used a lot of the "grayed purple" to knock down the green intensity and have a happy marriage between the trees, sky, and snow. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.