"Abundance" (unfinished)

(unfinished piece....acrylics on 300 lb. HP)

"I have come that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance." (Amplified Version) This piece does not yet have the scripture inclusion because it is not finished. This is acrylic with a very heavy application with a palette knife and now needs a day or two to dry. I will post the finished piece sometime next week.

It is often quite nice to see the progression of work rather than the finished piece. Because time is of the essence, this works for me this particular week since an Easter Exhibit is right around the corner. However, the past several postings of gestural writing and versals will come into play again as I come closer to the finish line. 

Nothing shows that art is a process like seeing things in steps. It is very instructive to take photographs of your work in progress so as not to forget how you actually did the piece (6) months from now. I guarantee you will not remember what you did unless you record the process with your digital camera and also save actual cropped off piece of the actual paint with notes.  

This is a 12" x 12" painted on 300 lb. HP with acrylic paint and a palette knife. It is simply too late in the game to do oils which have such a long drying and curing process...especially if you paint heavier and with a palette knife. However, for any of you on my art team who have waited to the last hour to work in oils, you will need to go get some Krylon Quick Dry for oil paints and spray your piece every day all this next week with a fan blowing on it 24/7. The Quick Dry allows the painting to continue to dry through the layering of spray.

Since my primary artistic voice includes gestural marks and lettering, the acrylic paint will give me a better opportunity to include any kind of lettering with pen, ink or gouache that I want by preparing the surface for lettering after the acrylic paint has dried. The "take away" from today is to photograph or record your process if you truly want to gain ground with every piece. The quote...."A picture is worth a thousand words."....hold very true in this process of creating art. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"Internal Combustion"

(sold)

"The internal combustion of the heart creates heat." This quote can be interpreted several different ways so I will let you decide.

The motivation to paint another snow scene from Flagstaff was inspired by our own weather here in Austin. It is not hard to imagine that we could see snow falling in the midst of temperatures in the 20's.  I will go with the odds. It probably will not snow so I will paint it and pretend. Of course, those who live in it all winter would probably like to trade places with those of us who live in the South.

In this piece, it looks like the snow was falling after a previous snowfall since the foreground has little or no snow. Once again, I am vitally interested in the foreground since it creates depth and interest in landscape painting. The shapes in this particular piece are very fascinating and contrast beautifully with each other. So it is worth repeating that all paintings are made up of shapes. And the more varied and interesting they are...the chances of creating a better painting will increase. 

Finding these kind of photos requires taking a lot of pictures...much more than you will ever need. You will also learn what types of compositions appeal to you personally. That's why it is important to paint from your own photo references or better yet...paint on location. A strategy that I have been using is to have a pocket camera in my purse. That way, you will always be ready to "snap" that special shot. My friend, Sue, actually inspired me to do this. I was always impressed to see her "whip" out her camera at the optimum time.

Beyond all of that, it is simply important to paint or sculpt, or create a mosaic, or mixed media piece, or anything else that you feel compelled to do and do it regularly. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

"Spot of Color"

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

"One spot of color makes a difference." A spot of color is like an encouraging word. It changes everything in a painting and in people.

If you are just beginning to experiment with painting...especially with a palette knife, you might not think things are going well as your painting the color notes you see in your photo or plein air experience. The incredible thing is that if you simply keep going and mix the right values and put them in the right spot, the painting magically appears. It does take practice, but it is very important to persevere to the bitter end before judging the outcome.

I am now eager to get out there and take some more pictures and if the weather permits to also paint outside. After creating quite a few of these pieces, I now know what I want to be looking for the next time I photograph. 

One of the first things is a lot of contrast like the stone against the trees in this piece. The very next thing for me would be looking for good diagonals. This piece has plenty of them with the angle of the bluff, the angle of some of the boulders, and the tree limbs. The next thing I will be looking for is a wide color range...especially complementary colors. Pieces that have all green, even if there is a high value contrast is not as appealing to me as having direct or split complementary colors present. And the other important thing would be division of space and good foreground interest. You can clearly see how the barren tree and other green foliage helps create distance.

And even if you're an abstract painter, a good photograph is a wonderful place to begin. It at least gives you an idea of composition, values, and colors, even if you have no intention of painting them realistically. So get your camera and take a drive in the hill country. There's plenty to see in Central Texas! And there you have it...just a few more things to think about. 

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.