trees and time

I guess that my inner soul is nourished by the trees. I think most of us, if we let ourselves, feel this energy. We are all drawn to trees. They are magic, powerful, calming, useful. Birds are messengers and can’t survive without the trees. Neither can we.

 Voices of the Air, oil/cold wax on canvas, 30x36in, 2013, available

 I didn’t want to rush this painting. Yet I didn’t want it to be contrived or tight. Self discipline is integral in making art hence studio works evolve differently then plein air. Time is on your side in the studio-so I make the most of it. When rendering larger works I want to relish in everything I don’t have time for outdoors.

I still want to bring in the intuitive responsive play. Just as there is push-pull in a work of art, there is continuous push-pull in the making of it-at least for me. 

I started this painting last month and only worked on it once or twice a week. Besides wanting passages to dry I also wanted to approach each session with objectivity and a fresh mind open to possibilities at the start of each session. I do think it is easier to give up or change course when there has been time away from the work. In the last leg of the painting I was able to think more about the final strokes than the amount actually laid down. That’s the lovely thing about time.