"Comfort Zones"

($125.00......6" x 6"......Water Soluble Oils on Gessobord....floated on a linen mat in a custom frame)

"Comfort zones are difficult to disrupt." We all need a few comfort zones to keep us on an even keel. The problem arises when they become the warm blanket we grab when we get cold. The real progress happens when we toss the blanket aside and reach for the stars.

This quote came to mind in connection with the barn because I think we all like to see old barns. They symbolize an era that is quickly disappearing while food and cattle are produced by corporations on a large scale.

I have also been thinking a lot about comfort zones because they become habits and rituals in a stressful world. Disrupting these zones takes a lot of intentionality. A recent book I read has helped me enormously. It's called the One Minute List. Unfortunately, I could not remember where I placed the book this morning so I don't have the author's name, but I do know I found it in the business section of Barnes & Noble.

The list recommended by the author has three key parts. The first part is called "Critical Now". This part of the list should not exceed (5) items and includes things with today's date attached that must be done today. I have taken it a step further and included a few more things that I consider non negotiables that need to be done everyday. One of those for me is blogging.

The second part of the list is called "Opportunity Now", which involves those things that you would like to get done if there is time left over after the "Critical Now" portion. This part should include things that need to be done within (10) days. 

The third part of the list is called "Over the Horizon" which includes goals and desires to be completed in the future. The idea is to prioritize your list into these three categories. A plan like this is very intentional and keeps all of your goals moving along. I also like the idea that there is extreme flexibility.

No matter what your plan is, the important point is to employ some way of avoiding the sabotage of your dreams by "floating" through life. Think intentionally and you will soon see yours dreams moving into reality. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.

"Point of View"

(unavailable....water soluble oils)

"Point of view determines what you see." Not only is this true in art, but it is true in life. A particular point of view about anything will determine outcome.

My experimenting rages on...literally...and I am once again reminded that paintings are made of shapes. It is good to remember this when taking photos as well. Look for contrasts and shapes to get some photographs you can actually use as a reference. In this piece, I probably could have done a better job of visually showing that this barn and foreground tree are at the foot of a hill of green grass with no blue sky showing. So one of the things I learned is that I might want to include blue sky in the photo for a more convincing piece.

However, I am satisfied with the fact that all four corners are designed. And the lettering is inscribed vertically along the right hand side without interfering with the image. I did do an under painting of a "grayed down" orange with acrylic paint before beginning. Hopefully, you will soon see more abstracted landscapes with more lettering included in the background. I plan to have a departure from this to an even more abbreviated image with some of my mixed media techniques also included.

My plan is to do what I know will work over time. And what I know works is that anyone who has a very strong desire to learn something can definitely do it if there is a desire to stay in the game and learn how to be very observant. I am now convinced that the skill of keen observation is foundational to learning art. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"Memory Connections"

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

"Memory connections often come in the form of a structure." There are reasons why certain places and structures conjure up memories. They often remind us of special events or fond memories.

One of the most important things for me in landscape painting is looking for lines that are dynamic. Keeping in mind that all edges create lines, I gravitated to this particular viewpoint because the barn was sitting on a hill which created a diagonal as well as the roof line of the barn. And of course, trees are always compelling because the tree limbs have repeated line work going in all directions.

Another consideration is the possibility of becoming a colorist and taking expressive license to make the most use of powerful complementary colors. In this piece, I obviously have used a wide range of greens which have red mixed into them, but I also used a dark, "grayed down" red in the barn to create a dynamic with all of those greens. There were also some trees turning yellow in the background so I used a light and "grayed down" purple in the barn to create another complementary dynamic.

It is important to be able to mix up the colors that are seen in the landscape, but the most expressive landscapes are created when the "colorist" side of the artist comes into play. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about. 

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.