Back at it.

Really looking forward to getting back in the studio this week. There's nothing more difficult than having time off, yet not being able to paint. The good news is, I finished a composition drawing for a 24" x 30" I've been eagerly waiting to paint. More on that later.

Completed Composition Drawing.

Here is the approach I am taking for the painting of the photograph below. The early masters put great stock in their preliminary sketches, or "feuille d'études". This is an opportunity to work out any kinks in an idea before going to the final painting. In mine for instance, you'll notice the grid lines, which are an easy way for me to balance a composition. I also removed any elements that aren't crucial to a successful and harmonious piece, such as the telephone pole, guard rails and such. I also take the time before this drawing to do a series of smaller thumbnail drawings to experiment with different arrangements to see if any of them work better than my initial vision.

Snowy Landscapes.

Yet another day of not painting. Still snow on the ground, and I'm very excited to paint a landscape with snow in it. I haven't done this since the days when I played back recorded episodes of "The Joy of Painting with Bob Ross" on my VCR. So it's been a while. I did get a bit of a reprieve this morning viewing the work of Joseph Farquharson. See for yourself here: http://www.ramshornstudio.com/joseph_farquharson.htm

Torture.

Even though it's clear there will be no painting until after Christmas, my easel still calls to me from across the studio. I'm busy with freelance design work, family in town for the holidays and the like, but my inner artist does not understand such things. I have to appease him every so often by stepping over near my easel and looking longingly at paintings I have in progress. Unfortunately no paint is on my palette, so there is little chance of an escape for him.

How I Stay Inspired.

Full on holiday mode, no time to paint. Yet it's extremely important that I remain creatively focused. I keep my sketch pad close, working on ideas for future paintings and refining compositions. Sometimes it's just a matter of zeroing in on a future painting. I like to have canvases and fully fleshed out ideas ready for when I sit down to paint next. Nothing worse than having the time to paint, yet not having something that inspires me to work on. Above is a photo I took at the eastern shore of the Chesapeake that I am very excited about. This will be my next painting, and I will show my progress right here.

The Art of Not Creating Art.

My blog is going to be about art, and the process of creating art. Inspiration strikes often, and sometimes on a day like today I can't get to my easel to paint. Even though there is a fresh white blanket of snow on the ground and the filtered winter sun is hitting it just right, I cannot paint it. Instead, I will post a painting I completed a couple weeks ago onsite at the Patapsco Wildlife Refuge. Interesting to note how colorful a bland winter's day can be.