"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.  :)