Personal Art Blog

Sharing the lessons I teach at the Artist Guild and the personal discoveries in my art.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Mother Nature's Gift of the Season





Mother Nature's Gift of the Season

6x6in oil on canvas board 85.

A friend gave me a beautiful Christmas Cactus and I used a palette knife to try and capture the freshness of color. I have noticed that sometimes the brush will subdue what I want to be bright, whereas the knife slides the paint on keeping the color true.
As I was painting this I thought of how, at one time, I would have tried to render the whole plant. I would have also meticulously painted every part with great enthusiasm. Now I tend to go after the impression of what I am painting rather than a photographic copy. Why? Is it because I can already paint  with great detail and this way is a challenge because I find it so much harder to paint in a looser manner? I think I will do this again with a brush and see the difference between the two.
Stay tuned...

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1 comment:

  1. Lots of energy in this painting - giving a feeling of nature pulsating with life's energy. I like it a lot.

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Julie