"Burn Off"

(unavailable......6" x 12".....Water Soluble Oils on 300 lb. HP)

"Clouds burn off with time." Many mornings begin with an overcast sky, but within a few hours, all is well and the sun comes out. The same is true in life.  Circumstances get us down, but as we change our focus, all is well again.

This is my second experimental piece in a 6" x 12" size. You are simply seeing my practice pieces until I get one that passes my inspection. It's really quite a fun exercise. The practice of how to mix and lay down the paint is invaluable and at the end of the day...there are several pieces to choose from.

Leana Fay was an established lettering artist and a mentor of mine. She has since passed away, but her influence still reverberates in my head. Even though she was an excellent lettering artist, she spent three days practicing the lettering for a particular piece before committing it to the final piece. With my experience in piano and mentors like Leana Fay, I have learned that it is futile to think any of us will paint that one perfect piece. More often than not, it is the practice of doing a lot of work that creates the best artwork. So I guess my encouragement is to create art consistently and frequently and you will be rewarded with pieces to choose from. There really is a tremendous satisfaction in this kind of process. 

Another key to successful artwork is learning to work with a limited palette.  I still see work that is "jarring" in the color harmony because the colors really are not that harmonious. It really is worth the effort to change course and quit trying to use the particular green, blue, yellow, etc that you want by squeezing it out of a tube. It is totally possible to have intense color that is pleasing to the viewer by using a double palette of the primaries.

More than one established oil painter has told me that and most are willing to share their preferred palette. If you want to succeed as a painter, you must learn to work with a limited palette. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.