Movalli Inspired Marsh 288

Movalli covered a 24"x30" canvas in about 30 minutes and it was brilliant... so I tried. I love the less is more theory of painting as well. His palette was simple, cad yellow, yellow ochre, cad red, ultramarine, and pthalo.... he may have had aliZarin, but digress. He used only 2 brushes... 90% of the time he used a number 12 bristle and and at the end, for about 5 key strokes, he used a number 8.

I came home and wanted to try, not that I paint slowly, just a bit more deliberately I guess. I had these 18"x24" canvases sitting around , so I vowed to put the to good uses using some of my marsh reference photos from the weekend.

Chatov Workshop Last Day, 203

Third day was so much easier. Still felt like I finished this piece in an hour and the moved stuff around for the next 5. I am looking forward to assimilating this info from the workshop into my impulsive and quick style.

Green Door, 171

This was painting from a picture one of my students took while in Greece. I have a door fetish and she knew I would love this one... she was right. This is the first door I have done in over 2 years. it felt good to get back to some imagery I love!

Clam Bay Marsh 110

I really needed a day like today. A day when all the stars align, there is enough coffee and plenty of patience to make something great happen. I started this painting with one thought and ended with another, which may be my only complaint. I initially planned on having the trees in all blues and violets, very somber and cold, and then out where this is light.... the water, the marsh grass, the trees on the other side, i wanted to make warm, vibrant and electric... somewhere along the way, i dropped that and went ahead with what I was doing, whatever that was. I listened to 4 Tom Waits albums, drank 2 cups of coffee (after 3pm) and painted like I hadn't in a long time. I am pretty sure that since I have been with daily painters, that has tainted me and my efforts to some degree. All my attention goes to that and checking the status of my painting and hoping someone will nibble on one.... blah, blah. That first week spoiled me, when I sold 2. I figured, hell, if I sold 2 in the first week, I should at least average one a week at worst or maybe 3 a month, right? Wrong. Lesson learned. I will paint what I want to paint and that is the end of the story.