Progress 02/17/12
I think that I sometimes do not stop to smell the roses….Custom work always takes priority in my painting life, and then I don’t have time or the mind set to just “create” something. My new years resolution was to paint more and just to paint …like a walk in the woods with no destination! I’m going to post the progress of this new canvas so I can follow my own steps. I always welcome company although it would make me nervous if someone was actually watching me paint! Enjoy the journey. The painting on my easel today has about 4 hours of work so far….but who’s keeping track?
Walking a dog in winter takes some planning. I’ve left the house without really realizing how cold it is. There is no going back….
This latest painting is a work on canvas and is about the idea of a walk and an actual walk. It could be called, “winter’s hesitation”…..acrylic on canvas 29×39″
ps. this is my first post on my new Blog look! hopefully it’s easier to see and enjoy
Give Me That Dog story painted and written. This long hot summer has been a great encouragement for staying in my studio and painting more of the great dog stories we received last year. We hope to publish another small book this fall.
What better way to spend a hot July day than to paint a story about a shy rescued dog that loved nothing more than to run and roll in the snow. This shelter dog, adopted from a shelter, was very unsure of herself.It took a long time to coax her outside for a walk when she was first adopted, but she came out of her fears and hesitations and quickly discovered the joys of a snowy day.
I’m working on a smaller canvas size…and it seems more difficult than larger canvas work. When I worked on larger canvas, 40X50″ plus, I would just start painting and something would happen….now I come up with a concept and even a drawing before I begin. Maybe the pre-structure limits my expression…kind of like coloring in the lines! In any case, usually what I plan doesn’t work anyway and the painting evolves into something I didn’t plan. That’s probably because painting isn’t really about thinking….it’s about finding what feels right.
The more I paint, the more I paint. I’m loving winter. It’s quiet. There is time to think and enjoy the quiet of leafless trees and no yard work to do. The new pup and I can spend lots of time in my studio and we both can walk out into the seemingly lifeless back yard. Before long, there will be all that comes with spring. Meanwhile, here is a new canvas called “leaping dog”. I think it is an expression of joy. The joy is not about anything or anybody….just that feeling that arrives out of nowhere for no particular reason!
