I’m taking a moment to survey this 24x36” oil on canvas that I’ve developed from a small 6x8” piece. The goal was to use that mini as the source, not referring to the original photo, in order to simplify what the camera catches and remove it from the equation all together. The fun thing about the minis is the thick paint, richer color, and simplified subject matter- I work with my limited palette (basically red, blue, yellow and white), two 1/2 inch brushes, one for darks and one for lights, and try to complete them in one go. It takes everything I have not to go back and begin correcting, tweaking and cleaning up the image. I am looking to keep the immediacy. In its roughness it keeps the energy and enthusiasm that gets killed once I begin thinking over it. I am looking at my ink and watercolor sketches as the inspiration for this type of process, and ultimately want to bring it to large paintings as well. This 24x36” has been created in this manner, though it has been worked over 3 days, the paint has stayed wet, and now I’m going to leave it alone!
