The New Year Brings Changes

I have decided to make several design changes as well as posting changes in the new year. I have been posting painting ideas and thoughts and discussing techniques. This year I will focus on listing new paintings. This will mean that I will post a blog less frequently. I am going to give my blog a design overhaul, attempting to make it more pleasing to view and give it a professional look. This may take some experimentation and several changes and tweaks until I arrive at the desired look.
May the New Year bring us all a wonderful future. And as always, my life is art!

Time to Reflect, Time to Make Changes

I'm in the process of making some decisions and changes to how I market my art and how I do my art. The end of the year always makes me stop and rethink my plans. I will be in Hawaii in January. I will be doing no online sales but will be painting. In February, when I return from Hawaii with a more focused, less hap-hazard way of producing and selling my art. Organization and reflecting on what works and what doesn't will be the key to seeing the direction for changes that need to be embraced.

Finished Lavender Field Painting

I've finished my latest lavender field painting. Finished product can be seen below.

Slow But Steady Progress

Still painting. Progress slower than expected. But painting going in the right direction. There is more depth of color and also a sense of depth. Progress photo can be seen below.

Underpainting

I have roughed out a new lavender field painting. I basically covered the canvas with a midtone color for each item, roughly painting it in. I will go back and define each area, adding darks and lights and giving depth of color. As the painting develops there will be contrast of colors and a sense of depth in the painting. Below you will see the first step - my underpainting.

Autumn Trees - A Painting Revisited

Below I took an old painting, examined it, and tweaked it by adding more red behind the trees for greater contrast. I also added more depth of color to several areas in the painting. I think it is much more pleasing now. See the final result below.

Paintings Revisited

I read a phrase yesterday that I liked very much. Instead of an artist saying she was "reworking" a painting, she referred to the name of the painting and added the word "revisited" at the end. An artist often looks at a painting that he or she has completed years earlier and sees ways to improve it. They then go back and paint some more on the original painting. I often do that to paintings that I may like but have not sold. I look to see if there is something that can be done to the painting to improve it. So, I will continue to paint new paintings, but also continue to "revisit" older works of art from time to time.

Seasonal Marketing Strategy

I know most of us paint or do our art mainly for the pure pleasure of it. But, if you are hoping to make some sales, this is definitely the time of year to push your sales. Try promoting your seasonal art. I have had multiple views of my shop from people searching for seasonal holiday themes, like poinsettias. Today I had someone include my mixed media poinsettia piece in a treasury list. This helps give my shop lots of exposure. Push your sales this time of year and then start replenishing your inventory after the first of the year. Reduce your sales price. People are looking for bargains this year. Try to move out your older pieces of inventory. I had two paintings this week, so I will start a new painting to replace the ones that sold.

A Few Sales

I had taken about a week off for Thanksgiving holiday travel to spend time with family. During that time I put my etsy.com shop which shows and sells my art on a vacation hold. When I returned I took the shop off vacation hold and within a short time had two paintings sell. I shipped the two paintings, each bought by the same woman, out today. The paintings which sold can be seen below.

A Small Painting Makes Perfect Gift

Small pieces of art (paintings, photography, etc.) make great gift items. Something to think about during the holiday season. I just completed a small 5 x 7 painting of a polar bear for my son, whose nickname is polar bear. So, I think he will love the painting and the effort that went into it. Painting can be seen below.

Finished Painting

I finished the lavender field painting. I am pleased with the result. See finished artwork below.

Continued Progress

My lavender field painting is continuing to evolve and grow into the painting I envisioned. I added the building yesterday and finished covering the canvas with paint. The next step is to add a few more dark colors and light tones in the trees and then to add a few details. Painting will be finished soon. Progress can be seen below.

Honing Your Technique

I have noticed that over the years I have been able to hone and sharpen my painting technique, especially when it comes to painting lavender fields and landscapes in impressionism. I first cover the canvas with color, creating an under-painting on which to build. I then create the darks, shadows and the lights. That way there is a depth of color and things don't appear flat. I loosen up my brushstrokes and add more color and finish off with detail in several areas. I try to spread a lot of the same color around to make your eye move through the painting. I also add a little of the opposite color on the color wheel to items painted in the distance to help to mute then and make them neutral in tone and color. Below you will see the progress on my new lavender field painting. I still have to work on the farm building but this photo still gives you a good idea of my process of painting. Enjoying the process. Enjoying the result.

Flowering Provencal Doorway Painting Finished

I added darks and lights to my painting and was able to easily finish the painting in just a few days. It was a pleasure to paint. I have my next painting sketched out. In a painting mood. Accomplishing a lot.

Painting A Companion Piece

This year I painted a scene from the Provence region of France. It was of a doorway. I am currently working on a similar companion piece of a flowering entrance to a Provencal home. See both the finished art done this year and the beginning of a companion piece. The new painting is only roughed in with the under-painting done. The darks and lights and details are yet to be done.

Back To What I Do Best

I must have been bored and needed a change for awhile. When your painting becomes boring, it's time to experiment. Well, I've enjoyed experimenting around with different techniques. Now I'm returning to what I do best. I'm so excited that I have already planned my next three paintings. I am returning back to a familiar theme, lavender fields and scenes of Provence. I will do the paintings a in bright color palette and keep my brushstrokes loose and impressionistic. Of course, to keep my restless nature in check I will still work on my new mixed media pieces from time to time.

You Just Never Know

Yesterday I had decided to concentrate on doing what I do best, the lavender fields created using impressionist technique. Well, out of the blue I had a sale of a painting which was in my online shop. It was not a painting that I was expecting to sell. It had a few people looking at it, but not nearly as many people viewing this painting or marking it as a favorite. It was not an impressionism painting. It was not a lavender field or French scene. It was a painting of redwoods done in a graphic technique. So, it just goes to show, you just never know what people will be drawn to and love enough to purchase. Photo of sold painting shown below.

SOLD

Art As A Gift

An original painting by an artist you know makes a perfect gift. During this Christmas season, with resources low, I plan to have prints made of some of my art and give some them as Christmas gifts. For my daughter's birthday, one of the presents she received was a painting of her pet poodle which I had done as a surprise. I decided to do a small painting for my son, whose nickname is polar bear, of some a couple of cute polar bears. I also am giving both children a matted print of one of my most popular paintings that sold. In addition I will give them a matted print of a photograph their aunt took of a dramatic sunset. Both are nice pieces of art and make good, thoughtful, unique gifts. It's a nice way to say Merry Christmas to those you love.

Latest, Greatest - My Mixed Media Piece

I had such fun working on my latest, greatest mixed media piece. It was a photo of my sister's mounted on a canvas panel and then embellished. I added gel medium, small black seed beads, and acrylic paint. I am quite pleased. Below you will see a couple of stages and then the finished product. Enjoy!

Mixed Media Finished

I thoroughly enjoyed working on the poinsettia mixed media piece. It did not turn out exactly as intended, but it is still pleasing. I am satisfied with it. Below you will find three photos. One where I added additional gel medium to the center of the piece. The other two photos are of the finished product with small rhinestones added. One is an enlargement to give you a better view the center of the piece.

Out And About But Still Thinking Art

Took some time off yesterday from painting and working on my mixed media piece. While out shopping I still look at art. Yesterday I took photos of several pieces of art that I saw and plan to use these for some ideas and inspiration later. So, though taking a break, brain always thinking about what I could paint next.

Enjoying the Process

The mixed media work of the poinsettia is different than my other mixed media pieces. The difference is that I am using a print of one of my paintings, not a photo, to paint over and embellish. It is interesting and fun. I have a little more to do before I can say it is finished. Below is a photo of my progress.

Juggling Canvases

Sometimes I feel like a juggler. I juggle my private life, relationships, etc. with my art. Sometimes I even feel like a juggler when it comes to doing my art. I have been busy redoing some older paintings, making them more pleasing to me. I also have started a new mixed media work using a print of one of my poinsettia paintings. Yesterday I applied a thick layer of acrylic medium gel to several places on the artwork. I then had to wait for it to dry. So, while waiting for it to dry I worked on tweaking some other paintings. Yes, I am a juggler. Below you will see the progress on the mixed media project. The acrylic gel was wet when the photo was taken so the it looks white in those areas. The gel dries clear. I'm looking forward to painting and embellishing it today.

Trying Multiple Websites To Sell Your Art

I have decided to keep plugging away and trying to sell my art, but not to concentrate on only one website. I have a low cost shop and have most of my art on etsy.com. But after the four month time period is up and the listing has expired, before relisting on etsy I am going to try to sell on eBay. You can list up to 50 items a month for free on eBay, only paying fees when your item sells. So, nothing to lose by trying it for a week with each item as it expires. If it doesn't sell on auction, then it can go back into my shop on etsy.com. The more exposure to potential buyers, the more possibility of a sale.

Loosening Up Your Brushstrokes

Over the years I have learned quite a lot. One of the difficult things to learn is how to not paint with tight brushstrokes and to loosen up. I recently reworked an old painting and loosened it up a bit. Made it more impressionistic looking. I am pleased with the result. Below you will find both an old version and the reworked painting. It still has the same overall look. Just ended up with a looser style of painting. Also notice the reworked painting also has more texture and depth of color. The old version is listed first. The reworked painting is listed second.

More Mixed Media

For the last several days I have been working on several mixed media pieces. I adhered photos to canvas panels. Then I added texture and built up areas of the photo with acrylic gel medium. Then I painted certain areas. The finished product and close ups are shown below.

 

Photo Art Cards

This week there is a special at Walgreens. Their 5x7 photo card is half price. So I can upload photos of some of my art and make greeting cards of them for only 99 cents each. Good deal. I tried one yesterday and was pleased with the results. I wish that the art would have bled off the sides, but am still happy with the result. I went home and uploaded 5 more! See the printed card below.

Companion Piece

I recently decided to do a "companion piece" for the autumn tree painting with a grid like pattern. Instead of variations of orange on a peach colored background, I made painted this tree on a blue background. The blue of the background made the autumn colors in the tree have a much different effect. View the painting below.

Being Flexible

Sometimes we have plans to do a particular piece of art at a certain time and in a certain manner. It is important to not be rigid and to be flexible with your work and timetable and even subject matter and materials. I was prepared to work on some mixed media projects and discovered I did not have all the necessary materials. The art supply store did not have what I needed. There was something that I could substitute for the missing supplies, but at three times the cost. Instead of making this substitution, I decided to continue the painting project I just completed of the grid like tree by experimenting with another painting but using a completely different color palette for the tree. I am excited to see how this project will turn out. My work seems always to be evolving, always changing.

Painting Is Good Medicine

I am not sick yet, but feeling a little under the weather with allergies and scratchy throat. I don't feel like being very creative. BUT, I will paint some, touch-up a few paintings. MAYBE even start a new project. I believe that painting is not only good for the soul but for your health as well. I got out and walked today even though the weather is overcast. I push myself because it is so good for my health. I will take another swig of orange juice and wander over to the easel and see if I can work myself into better health. Remember the old adage that laughter is the best medicine. Well I believe that for me painting is the best medicine.

A Different Direction

I have decided to take a short break from my usual painting in acrylics, even though I have seen some interest in the grid-like painting which I recently painted of a tree in autumn. I have decided to work on some mixed media pieces this week. My sister and I have experimented with this before with a combination of her photography and my painting. I think this art will be well received. I enjoy doing something that I haven't done before and experimenting with the medium.

Art Marketing Day

I have not painted yet today but have been rather busy with trying to promote and market my paintings. My sister and I are both trying to get exposure and possible sales on etsy.com through having a promo slot at the top of the page, mine in art pints and hers in photography. It does give us some much needed exposure. I also featured two of my sisters photographs in a treasury list. A treasury list is another way to get people to look at your friends work. We aren't just sitting at home feeling sorry for ourselves because of this economy. We are doing what we can to support each other to and bring sales in. Hoping and working toward a good sale season between now and Christmas.

Finished Tree Abstract Grid Painting

I worked long enough yesterday to finish my painting of an abstracted tree using a grid-like technique. I enjoyed the process and am happy with the result. 

A Different Technique

I am off to a good start and enjoying using a different technique to paint. This technique uses squares or grids to paint various shades of color to create an interesting impressionistic final result. Yesterday I divided the canvas into various loose squares and today I will develop those squares to create a tree shape. See the painting below.

Inspiration For Next Painting

I looked around yesterday at a design store. I saw a painting of a tree that was broken up in small squares. I have decided to play around and develop a similar technique. Of course, it will never, ever end up looking like my inspiration piece, but it is a good place to start and we will see how the painting evolves. It's always good to try something new.

Try, Try Again

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. I went back and reworked my tree painting. It has much looser brushstokes and I am pleased with the result. See the painting below.

If At First You Don't Succeed

I think the tree painting got away from me and became a little overworked. I am happy with the grass in the foreground and the sky but the tree itself needs to be reworked. No big deal. Will try to rework it and paint more loosely. We will see what develops. Sometimes what is in my head is much more difficult to put on canvas. Yesterday's work is shown below.

New Painting Started

Late yesterday afternoon I quickly roughed in a painting, doing the under-painting and working wet on wet. I am happy with the results and will try to keep the loose quick brushwork look of the painting going. I do not want to overwork this painting. It is hard sometimes to stay loose with a painting. The tendency is to keep going and add detail etc. There is a definite art to knowing when to stop. See the painting below.

Chaos vs Order

I tend to be a bit messy in my work area. If everything is in its place it appears too sterile an environment. From time to time I have to organize the chaos a little. I was reminded of this when I recently watched Lust For Life about Van Gogh. Van Gogh while living in Arles was quite prolific in his work. He painted many, many works and his canvases were strewn about everywhere. When his brother Theo had Paul Gauguin come join him, Gauguin was appalled at Van Gogh's working environment. They had different personalities and different ideas about how an artist's studio should be kept. Gauguin liked everything in its place and liked to think about everything before committing to canvas and preferred working indoors. Van Gogh liked to paint outside and liked to try to capture the emotion of what he was painting and was he anything other than neat and orderly. When my work environment gets too chaotic, then I straighten up (a little). Too neat and orderly does not work for me. It stifles my creativity.

The Next Painting

It is often difficult to decide what my next painting project should be. I recently painted three paintings of groups of trees, experimenting with color and design. I have decided to paint a single red tree next, not a group of trees. I will paint it in a loose, impressionist style.
Yesterday I watched an old movie called Lust For Life which was a movie about Vincent Van Gogh. The movie got me to thinking about Van Gogh's use of color and made me want to jump in and paint with lots of vivid color and strong impasto application of the paint.

Don't Give Up The Day Job

"Don't give up your day job" is a bit of advice I got when I was considering pursuing my passion of painting. It is very, very difficult to support yourself on sales from your art. Sales are sporadic and you never have a steady income. But the joys of creating your own art and being your own boss are compelling. But unless you are a person of means and do not need the income, perhaps you should keep that day job and just do your art on the side as a hobby business. If you do your art just for pleasure and do not have to worry about the income flow, you will keep the love and passion for your art.

Autumn Tree Painting

I finished another autumn tree painting. This is the third painting in the series. I think it came together faster because I have painted two similar paintings already. I was able to finish this painting with only painting two days. See the finished product below.

Productive Day

Today I started a new painting in my autumn tree series. I had a very productive day. A lot has been done today. I have all the under-painting done. See the painting in process in the photo below.

A Lead Balloon

Well, so far offering prints of my paintings is going over like a lead balloon. Only one or two people have even looked at the prints. I will continue to offer prints but it may not be the answer I had hoped it would be. I don't want to concentrate on the marketing side of art. I would much rather think of creating and having fun with my art. The sales will come later.

Working With Noise In The Background

We are currently having our old deck torn down and new deck put up. We get out for part of the day, but while we are here we are dealing with the banging and noise associated with construction. We are playing music, but it doesn't drown out the noise. So, the environment is not very pleasant and not helping me think or be creative. The best I will be able to do today is to do some much needed photography of some of the prints that were done for me by my sister while I was in Oregon visiting her. Oh well, one does the best they can do. Below you will find a photo of one of the prints that is matted and framed.

Mixed Media Experiment

My sister is quite a good photographer, specializing in macro photography. I love to paint, mostly in acrylics. Together we make a good team. We have been experimenting with mixed media. She prints some of her photography on matte paper which we mount on canvas board. Then we apply a gel medium that dries clear to add emphasis to certain areas and also use acrylic paints. We intend to experiment with adding gold leaf and other items to the photographs. Yesterday I added some crystal rhinestones to the art below. On some rhinestones I left the silver mirror type material on the back and on others I removed the backing. The ones in which I removed backing give a clear reflection. The other stones have a shimmer. I am happy with the result of the experiment. It was quite fun to break away from the usual painting and do something different and combine our talents.

New Items - Art Prints and Cards

Today I started offering a more affordable option for potential buyers of my art. I am now offering art cards and art prints of some of my favorite paintings. I am hopeful that this will promote more sales. At any rate, it is exciting to offer new items in my shop. Keep watching my etsy shop for new items.

More Supplies

Today I stocked up on more art supplies. I thought of a couple of  different projects I wanted to do and needed a few more items. I was near the art supply store so I dropped in an bought even more supplies. Now there shouldn't be too much to slow me down.
I hate to keep putting more money into supplies because it seems that things aren't selling and it takes quite a while to have the materials fee covered or reimbursed. But whether items sell or not, I will continue to paint and do my other projects. I'll try to forget about the cost and keep buying more supplies as needed.

Restocking Materials

I had a few minutes between doctor visits and the utter chaos of having construction done at the condo to stop in at an art supply store. There were several items I needed to have to start some new projects. I also wanted some mats and frames to put the prints my sister made for me of some of my art. I was able to find everything I needed at one location and am now ready to get going on several different projects. I need to photograph a few prints matted and framed and upload them to my etsy shop. I will soon discover if prints will sell better in my shop than original paintings.

Continuing The Painting Series

It is often difficult to determine when it is time to stop a certain painting series and start something different. I am enjoying the latest painting series so much that I am almost certain to continue it for 2 or 3 more paintings. It is a fun experiment with color and is a combination of my impressionist and graphic styles. The subject matter, trees and foliage, is a timely subject since it is the end of summer and fall is fast approaching. So, on to the next painting.

Art Walks

It's that time of year again for artist groups and individual artists to participate in organized art walks and open studios. I try each year to take advantage of these events. Last week, while on the Oregon coast visiting my sister, we took a drive to a community called Toledo which was having an art walk. I always enjoy going from gallery to gallery seeing what others are doing. It is very inspiring. This little community was 9 or 10 miles inland. It was a much more affordable place in which to live. I think the artists that I enjoyed seeing the most was a couple, she did turquoise jewelry and he did photography and was playing a guitar. They were not part of the organized tour. They called themselves a renegade group and were fun to talk with. They appeared to be a remnant of the old hippie groups. Being around them reminded me of my college days in the early '70's. It was a fun day. There was quite a variety of art to see - even painted gourds. All in all, it was a fun event.

Another Painting Completed

It feels good to have had several days in which to paint. I actually had enough time to finish my latest painting in a relatively short time period. I enjoyed the experiment with color and am quite pleased with the result. The finish painting is shown below.

Enjoying The Process

I am definitely enjoying my current painting project. It is a fun experiment in color and placement of graphic elements. This week is going to be a rather hectic week for me with Bernie having eye surgery and doctor visits and also having work done on our deck at the condo. As a result of all the chaos of the week, I may get few chances for painting. A normal routine is absolutely out of the question. Today I hope to finish this painting. The progress can be seen below.

Back At The Easel

After a couple of days rest from a fun trip, I am back at the easel! It feels great! I am working on another landscape, an autumn tree painting. It is going really well. I am enjoying experimenting with use of color. This painting is the second in a series. I found a canvas on which I had started a painting and the painting never developed. I had already painted over the surface with white. The canvas is now re-purposed for this fall tree scene. See the first day's progress in the photo below.

Exchanging Of Ideas And Expertise

I recently returned from a trip to visit my sister on the central Oregon coast. We are both artists, my sister is a photographer and I paint. We feed off each other's ideas and expertise. Rather than send digitized images of my paintings off to be printed, my sister helped me by printing my artwork for me. I have printed samples of several of my paintings and will now try to sell those. Also, we printed a few greeting cards with my artwork on them. The printer my sister uses for her photos did an excellent job of printing my art. I in turn helped her set up an online shop on etsy.com as an additional venue for showing her work. She already has some of her work in a local gallery but wanted an online presence. So, not only did we have great sister time during my visit, we also were very productive with promoting our artistic ventures.

Checking On Sales Of Other Artists

I try to keep up with different artist websites and places that artists can sell their art. Yesterday I checked on eBay to view the completed auctions in the art category. Absolutely nothing was selling that was valued over $25. That was what I needed to know in order to help make a decision about having prints made and selling those. Prints often sell for $25 or less on etsy. The cost of printing is at less than half that amount. Sounds like a plan to me. I also heard that high end items were selling in art galleries. That means the rich are still purchasing art, but high end art. I'm not quite there yet. My art is priced affordable for the average art admirer, not for a high end collector. So here again, I see that prints are the logical way for me to continue. I will have prints made on art paper and cards, not giclee on canvas. That keeps everyone's cost is down. So, enough analysis. Let's get going on making prints.
Going to Oregon to visit family for a week, so the blog will be on hold during that time. While at my sister's place on the Oregon coast I will work with her to help start a shop on etsy.com for her photography. She in turn will help me see how some of the images of my paintings will look printed. She has a nice epson printer and I am anxious to see how the prints look and then will see if the prints sell any better than my paintings have lately. Should be interesting to see the results.

Putting Things On Hold

I am putting my etsy shop on vacation mode. I am taking a trip soon and do not want to sell anything and have to be concerned with shipping anything while traveling. I will only have my shop on vacation mode for about 10 days. When I return I will have everything up and running again and will devote a lot of time to making some positive changes. It sometimes helps to put things aside for awhile and then return with a fresh perspective.

Validation

Again today I had someone mark as a favorite a painting that sold on etsy. This painting sold about a month ago and yet people still want that painting. I will have prints made soon and offer those for sale. I will not be able to charge as much for a print as I could for the original painting, but I can make numerous sales off the same art image. I see this continued activity as validating the need to move in this direction with my art business. Not only will I offer my original art but will offer more affordable prints of my art.

Words Of Encouragement

We all need words of encouragement from time to time. Yesterday I created a treasury list on etsy.com of items that other artists and artisans were creating and posted the list for others to view. I had one woman thank me for including her painting, then she complimented me on my shop and paintings. She could not understand why I had not sold more items than I had and also was quite frustrated at her lack of sales. I told her that I enjoyed her work and to be patient. There are a lot of people looking and admiring art but not that many people are actually buying. It's not that someone's work is less than good or that no one wants to buy it, it's the economy. Until the economy improves, there will be little or no sales. I reminded her to continue to do what she loves and not to be concerned about the sales side of it. That's a lesson we could all use.

Pure Enjoyment

Yesterday I worked on and completed my autumn tree painting. It was pure enjoyment. I plan to do several more of these quick paintings of trees with their fall color. Perhaps prints of the autumn tree paintings will make nice greeting cards? We will see as this painting series progresses. I have two photos of the painting below. One photo is of the painting in progress and the other photo is of the finished painting.

Cutting Costs, Eliminating The Middle Man

I decided that there was an opportunity to grow my art business by offering prints and cards of some of my paintings. After investigating printers and printing costs, I have come to the conclusion to buy a nice small printer and do the work myself. I will cut out the middle man. I worked for 27 years in the printing industry. I can purchase paper reasonably from suppliers and print up to 11 x 14 or a little larger with no problem. The printer I am looking at is one that my sister always has and is printing her photography on. She even clued me in to a good paper supplier. The printer she has offers a good rebate for purchasing as well as a dvd of Photoshop Elements. So, it sounds like a really good deal all around. It will cost me a little up front, but I think I can recover my expenses with just a few print sales. So, after I go visit with my sister and we print a couple of my things, if I am happy with the results I will purchase a printer. I am excited about that. I will have more than expensive original paintings to offer. I think it will greatly expand my customer base. People with less expendable income with be able to purchase a print or an art card and still have a copy of a painting of mine that they have marked as a favorite. It will be cheaper for me to mail prints out than deal with shipping paintings. So, it seems like a very good idea. I will eliminate the middle man and keep a higher percentage of the profits.

A Work Schedule

I don't have any particular work schedule. I don't punch a time clock anymore. Thank goodness! 28 years was enough of that. But I do feel a need to paint on a fairly regular basis. Painting more often improves my technique. There are some painters who paint every day. There are others who actually complete an entire painting in a day. If I had a completed painting everyday, I would not have the space to keep them, assuming that they did not all sell. Can you imagine 365 paintings in a year? That's being quite prolific. And would the thought of being required to paint every day, whether you feel like it or not, take the pleasure out of the whole experience. I paint when I can. My whole day is not controlled by the thought that I must paint. Now I do paint often, but am not concerned if I skip a day here or there. That's life. I go through periods of drought, doing very little and feeling nonproductive. Then there are periods of time that I paint and paint and paint and produce a lot of work and am constantly full of ideas and experimenting with my ideas and different techniques. So, for the days that I don't sit in front of an easel, I forgive myself. I know the reasons that I paint are much more than monetary and I will be pulled back in front of the canvas when inspiration woes me and beckons me with her seductive voice.

Paint For Yourself

Paint for yourself. Paint because you enjoy it. Don't worry about whether the public likes it. Only paint to please yourself.
I am enjoying my new series of paintings. They all start out in my head and involve different fall color combination and various organic shapes. The painting technique is a combination of impressionism and the graphic technique I've been pursuing. The painting is like a living thing, growing and changing each day. I am really enjoying the process. See yesterday's progress in the photo below.

Started A New Painting

I don't waste much time after finishing a painting before I start something new. I have decided to paint a few landscape paintings with fall color. I am not looking at a photo, though I have a large selection, but rather building the painting layer by layer from a vision in my head. I am off to a good start. I have two photos below of the progress on building the under-painting.

It Is Finished!

I am satisfied. The painting has more sense of dimension, more depth. It also has more richness of color and some added interest with buildings added to the background of the painting. It is not a masterpiece, but it is a nice painting. For the moment, I am satisfied with the painting. It may need further attention at a later time. But for now, IT IS FINISHED!!!

Adding Texture With A Palette Knife

I had a very good afternoon painting. I worked on the foreground lavender in the painting. I added a lot of contrast and texture. I used a palette knife and had lots of loose quick strokes and acquired the results for which I was aiming. Below you will find two photos. One photo is of the painting as a whole. The other photo is a close-up of the lavender in the foreground to show the effect obtained by the palette knife.