Sunset No.36

3/30/12
A cloudy overcast day. The most interesting thing to me was the sky but even that was a struggle for me to make interesting enough. I am trying to be more selective these days and only include the things I feel strengthen the composition.

Sunset No.35

3/28/12
Today I used some new bushes from Rosemary and Co. they are really nice I was impressed with there quality. I used the mongoose as well as there mixed synthetic line. I also used a new medium for me, rectified turpentine (dries quickly and less greasy) and I also used the famous Mayer medium (damar varnish, stand oil, rectified turp) I really like these allot and I think I will stick with them for a while. Also I started toning my panel with a color that I feel best represents the spirit of the scene to me.

Sunset No.34

3/26/12
How can you add something of yourself to your paintings, how  can you make art that is more than brush and paint but has content, how do you make art that is more not less. I find myself asking these questions over and over again lately. I find that you can put yourself  into your art and make an important statement that has content without becoming an expressionist or impressionist. I feel that as artist's when we work from life we need to find something that speaks to us, something so profoundly interesting that it compels us to create. You are in your work when you find something in your subject.

Comments welcomed!

Sunset No.33

3/23/12
What you are looking at is actually two paintings. I arrived and the sky was blue grey and it didn't look like there was any way it would clear, in fact it was windy and looked like rain was on the way. I quickly put down a cool grey tone and started painting and then it happened. about an hour into the painting it cleared up and everything changed on me. The sky was now glowing with a warm pink color. I sat and stared at it in disbelief for about five minutes and then I decided it was worth scraping off the sky I already painted and replacing it. I frantically scraped off the grey sky underneath and re painted in in the warm pink you see now, also I had to re paint the water to reflect the new color. Two paintings, one sunset, one painting.

Sunset No.32

3/21/12
A new thing for me, I toned the canvas with a color that was predominant in the scene; purple made of manganese violet and ultramarine blue. It was allot of fun to add an overall color to the scene I really like the feeling it gave even before I started the real painting. To bad the mosquito's were biting the crap out of me and I forgot the paper towels. Most of the under painting or toned canvas is showing, I liked it that way so I left it.

Sunset No.31

3/19/12
The days are starting to get allot more clear with less grey clouds. Iv'e come to understand that when you work at a fast pace such as this, you have to choose one thing to focus on and then do the rest from memory or invention. Another way to tackle it is to go for it all at once, but I do not poses that speed at this point, maybe next time.

Sunset No.30

3/16/12
After painting the same things 30 times in a row you start to realize certain things that I would have never imagined.  You realize that the artist has a the power to control reality and alter reality in order to create something more than a copy but a feeling. I feel that paintings beauty lies in it's ability to allow the artist to express beauty and visual drama in a way that is personal and enduring as any other art form.

Sunset No.29

3/14/12
Cloudy and almost raining but the color effects in the sky were awesome.  I had to finish quickly because lightning was striking and a huge storm was on the way.

Sunset No.28

3/12/12
A cloudy day opened up slightly with a punch of warm color against the blue grey of the clouds.  Shifting my gaze slightly to the right each time now because of the movement of the sun. Much like conceptual artist Jennifer Bartlett, This work is confined to a set of rules and parameters.

Sunset No.27

3/9/12
An overcast day with a few slight, dull, yellow notes of color in the sky. With this one I felt as though I am starting to  remember all of the elements of the picture to the point where I can almost paint it from memory. Also, now I feel like I am fast enough and have most of the technical details sorted out that I am able to capture more of the subtle details I left out before. It was raining and I had to use my umbrella that didn't stay up without a constant hand holding it's metal neck.

Sunset No.26

3/7/12
I wanted to try and capture the optical effect of the sun behind the trees, you have only got a few moments and then you have to rely on memory. I've shifted my gaze slightly to the right in order to see the sunset more in full. The sun has moved farther right with the progression of the year.

Sunset No.25

3/5/12
What I have learned is this; that it is not about making the perfect painting, but instead it is about embracing the mistakes and enjoying the misshapes because they are part of this story. The richness, the vibrancy of this project is that each painting is more than an image, more than a picture on the wall, each image has within it it's own story it's own adventure.

Sunset No.24

3/2/12
It was sunset but no sunset only street lights and a cloudy grey sky. I was hoping to try out the new color I just got called "brilliant pink" it's an Old Holland color.