North Portland

.

6″ x 8″ oil on canvas

This is from a sketch I did a while back and posted on my other blog, here.

I start these studies with the intention of not fussing with it, then, somehow, get drawn into it. After I notice that I’ve succumbed, once again, to fussiness, I often resolve to do another one immediately after and, now that I’ve made a lot of the decisions, be more succinct. I don’t recall now whether I’ve ever followed through on that. Painting time is precious and I become fascinated by another image, like a shiny rock, and start on another one.

I think that if I had more time, I’d slow down and explore an image or idea thoroughly. I’d do lots of studies and versions of paintings. I’d try them in different media.

That may be a pipe dream. (What is the pipe referred to in that saying?)

This is not such a bad little piece. There are things I like about it but I feel I didn’t achieve the freshness I was after.

I’m always looking at other paintings for inspiration and ideas on how to solve problems. One I’ve been looking at lately is Michael Pieczonka. I particularly like this one – View of the F Mack from Queen’s Quay.

.

Abandoned Car

.

9″ x 9″ oil on canvas

Bill Wray inspired burned out car along the side of the road.

Trying to get more paint on the canvas so I can paint into it rather than onto it. I’m always afraid of making the looseness too studied, too self conscious, too much about looseness.

As always the way through is to paint more. I need longer days.

Studies

I’ve posted a few sketches on my other blog but I’ve been so busy trying to keep my job and take care of other personal things that I have not had time to paint.

I read a post by Armand Cabrera on his blog Art and Influence about the value of doing studies. Here are a couple of studies I’ve done recently trying to get the hang of gouache.

.

.