Simplicity

Thought Cape Cod might offer a more simple subject than my typical over-the-top grand scene. But, as many have found, simple is hard. Simple is, well . . . . complicated. I'm still battling the foreground. I've been studying Chris Morel's simple foregrounds and I marvel at his ability to condense a complex section to a singular brush stroke. I keep overworking my foregrounds. I just bought a new palette knife. I plan on scraping away my silly stuff in the future . . . . but I just don't know if I can replace my meanderings with something coherent.

Accidental Wall stains

The composition may be a bit forced, but the canyon walls gave me a little hope. Shadow and highlights are getting close to something decent. I just need to let go and let painting become more visceral and less intellectual. I had some great moments with this one making happy accidents. Someday I'll capture some of the emotion of Capitol Reef. I need to practice. I need to paint

Back at the Scene of the Crime

So it's been a year since my guest artist debut. And sadly the oils have sat idle for most of these past 12 months. But being back with the Landscape Painting All-Stars did get the juices flowing. Tried pushing a little paint around. Chasing those elusive blues and greens of sage and desert trees is quite a pursuit. Time to get serious