"The Story"

"The Story"

24x30 oil on linen

This is my latest studio piece, just finished!  Art making is interesting. . . Is there ever one way to make art?  In "The Story" my approach was much different than my last two studio pieces.  In the bean field pieces, I had a very deliberate plan as to how I was going to paint the pieces and spent more time planning my studies than I actually did painting the 2 @ 20x24 paintings.  I knew I wanted a very buttery paint quality, an alla prima approach where I planned to finish the paintings each in one session with lush wet edges melding into one another and bold stroked of paint.  That worked out well for those two paintings, in fact I already pre-sold one of them for our show opening Friday in Pepin!  

Now, the painting "The Story" was completely different in my approach.  I worked from a photo I had taken a couple years back in Door County, and knew when I shot the photo I'd be making this a large painting someday.  I have very vivid memories of the 'mood and feeling' I had for that day and place.  I felt very much a part of the place and knew it would be important for me when creating the painting that I would want to translate that feeling, there was a sense of mystery to the place as well.  This is a painting I would say I 'painted myself into'.   

When starting this painting I had no intention of working through this piece quickly, I knew I would work in layers in attempt to build up the depth through transparencies to create in the painting the feeling of vibrancy in the grasses and queen anne's lace in the large foreground area.  

I worked back and forth with warms and cools until I felt I achieved what I was after without hopefully over working it!  After time and thoughtfulness to this painting, it's finished.  :)  

Painters Of The Upper Mississippi

Painting Fall From The Studio

"Along The Bean Field"

20x24 oil on linen

"Wide Open Spaces"

20x24 oil on linen

My fall studio classes started up again last week!  It was really good to be back teaching in the studio  with all the eager and inspiring painters I am privileged to teach.  I always welcome, and do realize I need breaks from teaching to have some of my own space to paint and breath but I know for certain that teaching is a huge part of my art and feeds and challenges me as an artist.  I have a strong need to share my findings through teaching and painting.  

The two pieces above were started as demonstrations for my Thursday and Friday advanced studio classes.  The top piece was my Thursday 'demo', I came in to the studio early Friday morning before my next class to finish it up.  "Wide Open Spaces" was my Friday class 'demo' which I finished today.  Because I had spent most of Tuesday and Wednesday on working out compositions, value studies, then color studies I was able to approach both my larger pieces confidently and freely.  I spent more time planning these pieces than I actually did painting them.  A good solid conceptual plan pays off!  I feel that if I have a clear plan of where  I'm going with my paintings I can achieve a freshness and confidence in my paint quality that I'm after.