#7- Snow Shadows - Making It Up as I Go Along

#7- Snow Shadows, 8x8", Oil on Stretched Canvas

So, coming off the experience of trying to be more spontaneous and not sweat every single detail in my last painting, I decided to just paint something, working from my head - mostly memory.  (With me, this could be dangerous.  My friends will agree.)

I started with a random photo of some woods against the sky, but departed from there quickly, and threw in the snow in front to use as a big reflector of the sky color.  I just worked on the contrast between the cools of the blues (which are actually pretty warm, for blue) and the highlights, which became golden because white was just so...white.   I toned the panel with a bit of rubbed on burnt sienna first, but ended up painting over most of that.

It was fast, and enjoyable, but I think I'm ready to move to other ideas now.

 I'm turning my thoughts to more figurative subjects.

A few years back, I amused myself by painting mug shots I found online.  It was never meant as a disrespectful thing, and I took care not to go for strict likenesses.  But the faces were too irresistible not to try to paint, and the images were public, since the police made them so by publishing them.  I timed the paintings, and gave myself one hour from blank (toned) canvas to finish.  The practice didn't last long, but I think I might like to go back to experimenting with this again soon.

When I was in college, we had a drawing instructor for a life drawing class who made us draw 15 second poses.  For HOURS. And he also insisted we get it all - the whole body gesture.  At first, we thought he was nuts.   But, when we finally got around to doing 30 second poses, we thought that this was almost too much time!  So, there is something positive, I think, about making fast decisions about larger gestures and forms at the expense of more trivial details.

I'm talking myself into this.   I might give it a shot soon.

(For purchase information for this painting, please email me. )