Working out the details...

...of my current painting in some sketchbook drawings.

Even when you paint, you never stop drawing.

- Igor Babailov

A Minnie addition...

...while progressing the forms, textures and colors throughout the painting.

Our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them.

-Walt Disney

Another day, another mouse

A sketchbook drawing to work out the cold warm contrast pattern of the three mouse painting.

He who wishes to become a master of color must see, feel, and experience each individual color in its endless combinations with all other colors. 

-Johannes Itten

It's all about the application...

...of the paint.  Moving things forward, moving things along.

Don't stress over anything you can't change.

- Mickey Mouse

To laugh at yourself, is to love yourself.

-Mickey Mouse

A New Year, a new painting

No greater excitement than in starting a new painting.  Every mark full of the potential for a brilliant outcome.  Here is to striving to maintaining the carefree attitude of a painting's beginning throughout!

“Soon it got dusk, a grapy dusk, a purple dusk over tangerine groves and long melon fields; the sun the color of pressed grapes, slashed with burgandy red, the fields the color of love and Spanish mysteries.” 

-Jack Kerouac, On the Road

The never ending painting:

I thought I would never finish this work this past year.  After leaving it for a couple of months, I returned to it today to finish it.  Is a painting ever finished?  Some would argue "No."  Perhaps ones day in the coming months I will add or change a few things that I thought should be different while photographing it this afternoon, however for today I will proclaim that it is done.  There are several posts on this blog in the months of June, July and August that feature this works progress.

The thing is complete when you can let it be.

- Gita Bellin

Morning Battles - painting completed...

I teach color theory. I have decided to paint all color principles I ask my students to paint. I believe in the color principles defined by Johannes Itten. I am a convert to my belief. I thought his color principles were dated and old fashioned. After teaching color theory, I started seeing the principles defined by Itten everywhere, every day in movies, advertisements, clothing, etc. I realized his ideas about color are alive and well. This is a still life of my daughter's toys. In the work, I am interested in painting a subject I can approach in a straight forward manner. I am at my best as a painter when I have a direct perceptual reference. Morning Battles takes on Itten's Contrast of Hue. I thought that color contrast would be the best for my idea. Conflict is a form of abrupt communication and hard transitions. Light/dark contrasting colors exemplifies dual, conflicting feelings of joy & exasperation I experience in the early mornings while trying feed and dress a toddler.