Interpreting "Ritner Creek" over time

The last time I painted large scale streams on 3 foot by 5 foot or larger canvases was about ten years ago.  I was discouraged by my market that dried up. Several attempts at winning commissions for public places failed, and the economy slumped.

At age 70 I must wait no longer to bite into another attempt. I want to share what I have learned.  I find painting large meaningful.  The extra effort is thrilling and challenging. Working large so my whole body flows like water. I paint the energy I feel as much as what I see.

I used to say that I danced when I painted.  Rhythm was what I felt in nature. When I watched myself with brush in hand, I was amazed to see myself moving like I learned from a few ballet lessons when I was10 years old.

In other ways the videos are very humbling. I am having difficulty both talking and painting at the same time. I have terrible stage fright. These recordings are safe on a flash drive and waiting for me to learn how to edit a movie.

Tomorrow I will record the final steps in resolving this painting.

Outdoor painting is not necassarily better than working from photographs

 

This painting is as much about a muscular impression as feeling the forces  of nature weighting down a fluid rock. I feel the breeze and hear the birds. The dryness of the air dries the brush. More paint on the brush slows the drying. 

Working from this photo would likely result in a more photographic image.

 



"Near Painted Hills, Oregon" acrylic on canvas, 18" square

 

 

Working on location is rewarding, I really avoid using photographs and studio copying of photos. On location requires immediate selection of your window which could be more panoramic than the limits of the usual lens. Copying is not important - the landscape before me is just a springboard to a precious experience.