Blog

Lately, I have not been painting. I just finished up a workshop, I had a wonderful visit from my son, and I am getting ready for a great big studio sale.

I am generally a very prolific painter, and usually produce about 50-60 new pieces a year.  For various reasons, at times, it is necessary to take some time off from painting....a break. This is an unusually long one for me...I often have a few studio pieces going at the same time, and I think that it has been longer than a month since I started any significant work.

However, I do know that it is necessary to keep the painting muscles well limbered and flexible.

So, what do I do?

WORK.   FROM.    LIFE.

"Gulch Light" , pastel, 9x12

This may mean getting out for as little as 40 minutes and doing a plein air study ( drive time included, on this one!)

Or, I keep up a practice that is crucial to the painting process, and that is just taking 20-30 minutes every few days, and simply doing a sketch.

 Here are a couple of pages from one of my sketch books, and as you can see, it can be of the most mundane subjects. Here we have an interior, and my reading glasses, respectively. By so doing, I keep the eye hand heart, hand connections going, and my drawing skills can always use some polishing.

In my workshops, I do stress the value of direct observation, for which there is no substitute.

It wouldn't be very good if I didn't follow my own advice, now would it?

Having spent many decades in upstate NY, I have always loved autumn.

The richer colors, and the " burnishing" of the landscape are an artist's dream. I found that I always loved the way that the undergrowth , after the brilliant leaves had fallen took on a life of its' own. this is what I love to paint.

Now that I'm living in the high desert region of the southwest, the colors are not the kaleidoscope of oranges and reds that are typical of New England. The changes are much more subtle, but there, nonetheless.

 " Ochre Corner" is a pastel that was inspired by late afternoon light, in a corner of a field. Yes, the gold leaves did catch my eye, but it was the coloring of the undergrowth, grasses, and low bushes that made me want to paint this. I kept the pastel strokes fresh to describe the variety of scraggly branches, weeds and low shrubs.

The overall palette is very warm; note how the blues are on either side of a pure blue. that is, they lean towards a violet, or a green blue...thus a bit warmer than a pure blue.

This painting will be available during my Thanksgiving weekend studio exhibition and sale.