"Swept Away"

(unavailable...6" x 12" experimental piece)

"Swept away by ever changing clouds..." This is more of a phrase than a quote. Whether it's clouds or circumstances, being swept away aptly describes the process. And that's why I pray to an unchanging God.

This piece was painted on 300 lb. HP Watercolor Paper and is a 6" x 12" size. I plan to do several more, not just sky scapes, but abstract landscapes that I am calling "Gestural Landscapes". Even though the 300 lb. paper is $13.00 for a parent sheet, it is a wonderful surface to work on and because I haven't yet mounted it on an Ampersand Panel, I can set it aside and keep working on this size until I am certain I have my best one. (I can probably paint (8) of this size from a parent sheet.)  So this is just a tip on working on unmounted canvas or paper before mounting and then you have options by choosing the best one out of your collection.

My goal in this experimental piece was to compare the difference between painting with oils on gessobord and Hot Press Paper. I can already say that I like both surfaces. The advantage of the paper is that it is easy to crop and to store until I decide which one I am willing to mount. Anytime you can come up with more options, you will immediately understand the advantage of being able to choose the best from your own work. It gives you confidence in analyzing your own work and knowing you've done your best at this point of your art journey. 

Trying to create a perfect piece with no back up plan can be very frustrating and may weaken the desire to try over and over again. Why not do it over and over again and then have options?  It's a winning strategy!  And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.