Ive been busy painting in my studio. Here is my latest venture. I’am very pleased with the results. I feel that it is the abstract qualities that has me excited about this piece. The scene has no reference in reality. Maybe in my subconscious…who knows what is stored in our memory. For instance after painting that hilly scene of PEI..I got to thinking that it looks alot like my sister’s back yard!! I have already started on another painting with a similar look.I will let this one dry a few days then go back and retouch the white areas. Other then that I think it is complete. RJ

 Thought I would post the painting I’am currently working on. I was inspired by a landscape photo I found in a magazine. However the painting looks nothing like the photo. I usually take photos and use them as a starting point or reference  for my work. 

 The colours in this 18 x 36  inch oil painting are very different from what I usually use. The technique is much the same as my previous painting posted. I kind of like the piece but I usually like a more simplified painting. This seems to have alot of detail. I might paint another more simplified version. I like the composition and feel it is well worth another try?-RJ

For the last few days I decided to get back to my oil painting. This painting 12 inch by 36 inch is inspired by the rolling hills of Prince Edward Island.

I am taking my time and throughly enjoying the careful plotting of each stroke of paint.As you can see it is very different from the style I used for the small acrylic painting I was working on before.

Many times one painting will lead to another and I have thoughts of doing more like this one. Maybe a theme of “Paths”  I’am liking the soft colours and simplicity of the composition. This one is definitely about the brush strokes.

Initially I thought to make it a cow path but now think I will just leave it as is…it could be any path to anywhere…I will leave that to the viewer.

I like painting wet on wet as I have done here. It gives that soft edge to the brush strokes and using oil paints gives me lots of time to carefully plot each stroke. It would be hard if not impossible to get this effect with acrylics. -RJ

OK….so you can see I’ve added a lot more paint. For a little painting it has taken a lot of my time and I feel it my be over worked. I am not liking it as much as my first little painting. I did use a different approach for this one right from the beginning so it is kind of experimental anyway. However, I have used this same approach before and been much happier with the outcome…but here it is!

This painting has been through many changes and in my opinion has lost its initial appeal. However I almost always like my paintings when they are half done.

What is it that makes us not want to stop even when we are liking what is before us?

Is it the need to please others? Is it the “rules” of painting that have been drilled into us since childhood? Is it my own insecurities? Maybe all of the above.

If you look back to step 4 of this exercise you will see where it was in the painting that I wanted to stop or at least just tweek a bit. But alas it is no more and is now covered in layers of paint! But…no painting is a failure…it is only a learning experience and the more you do the better you will get. -RJ

Today I will show what may be the final step of my little painting.

As you can see above, I have added a lot more blues in the sky and redefined the branches and added a red and orange fall colours to the foliage. You will also notice some purple and green here and there if you look closely.

I have  added quite a few more strokes of colour yet I am still being careful not to cover the whole ground area. I believe keeping the red base will give the painting a sense of rhythm.

I added more dark in the foreground….oppps maybe too much! but I can remedy that later. It is important to try to maintain the freshness and not overwork this piece. I think I am moving too fast on this one and not thinking it through enough. Perhaps this is not the final steps. -RJ