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.