How my Paintings control me….

Shaft of Light

I was reading Connie William’s Blog. She’s a wonderful Painter who’s so meticulous. I am amazed at painters who has this much patience. I wish I had one hundredth of it. I am like an express train trying to put everything I feel for a subject right then and there. With oils I get so impatient because that darn medium doesn’t dry fast enough. I usually get it muddy to the point I want to throw it away. Then I get back to it after a few days and forgive it and start working again. For me I’ve noticed if I try to control it, it goes GRRRRR…. at me. So eventually I let the painting control me.

What’s on your Palette is half the battle!

Try making a painting with a muddy or a clashing palette. It’s like going to war. If I have all the gorgeous colors that live harmoniously on it the painting just flows.

 

I found Paynes Gray!!!

peaceful Morning

sheep-in-the-meadow

view-from-the-hill

 I went to an oil painting workshop by Anna Lee Steed (I love the way she makes the color glow) and I found Payne’s Gray. I don’t know where it was hiding and didn’t know it existed. Mix it with white and, what a glorious color!

She also introduced me to a palette of neutrals and I am going WILD with it. Within a couple of weeks I painted at least a dozen of 7″x5″ paintings, all from the neutral color palette and all that I adore. Every one of them was straight out of my head and as fast and free as I could. What I realized is that the ones that I went wild and scratched and threw paint on were my favorites. Unconsciously I’ve painted scenes from my trips. It’s weird.

Somehow I feel I’ve come home. I don’t know for how long but for now I am a happy camper!!!