8x10, oil on panel.

8x10, oil on panel. Hay fields always grab my attention. My intention with this one was to study in atmospheric perspective. I wanted to create the feeling of depth as the field recedes toward the tree line and hills in the distance.

8x10, oil on panel.

8x10, oil on panel. I remember this morning vividly. Almost exactly 3 years ago… My wife was in San Diego for business, and I flew in to meet her. This particular morning, we were up early for a drive to Torrey Pines and some hiking along the coast. It rained a little just before dawn. There is nothing quite like the combination of the smell of fresh rain and the sound of the ocean as you rise before the sun.

8x10, oil on panel. My head was not in the game on this one. The drawing was not careful, the color is oversaturated, the values are too exagerated in some places and just plain wrong in others. They say that every painter has a thousand shitty paintings in them that must come out before the good ones come. If that is true, then I’m glad to get this one out of the way.

8x10, oil on panel. I painted this in a hotel room based on a photo from Google street view. Not the worst way to experiment with my plein air kit, but it did expose a fair number of shortcomings in my equipment and my processes that I will need to overcome if I intend to paint outdoors more often this year.

8x10, oil on panel. I had a few goals for this painting: I wanted to do a still life from the “above” perspective I wanted to paint thickly I wanted to avoid getting muddy I was worried the smooth texture of the Gessobord might make layering difficult, but I honestly didn’t have much difficulty at all with that. I used my Princeton 6300 Brights to paint with. I really like the combination of smooth panel, Princeton Brights, and thick paint.

8x10, oil on cheap canvas panel. I tried sanding the canvas panel a little bit before starting this painting. I’ve always just taken them from the package and painted, and I’ve never been thrilled with the texture. I’m still not. Maybe I didn’t sand aggressively enough, maybe I should painted thicker? I’m working on revisions to my studio. One change I made today was to build a panel backer for my easel.

I’ve tried to make a point of practicing art in some way every day this year. This is mostly comprised of figure drawing in my sketchbook each night before bed. But the past week, I’ve really felt the need to take a break, and after fighting through it for a few days, I decided to give myself some mental rest. This was not an easy decision. I had built up a streak of daily practice that I don’t think I’ve ever had - even when I was in high school, and art was my life.

One of the things I struggle with the most, is trying to decide what to paint. There are plenty of days where this indecision overrides my desire to get into the studio and sling some paint. I spent $10 on a box of wooden blocks, and I now have an unlimited supply of still life subjects. I still (way too often) allow myself to talk me out of going into the studio, because, let’s face it, blocks are not the most inspiring thing in the world.