Lately I've been spending time in the downstairs studio painting the next five foot canvas. In winter it is so nice and warm in there with the big south facing windows. My painting corner is on the north side and I never need any artificial lights. The painting itself has progressed even since I snapped this photo of it. Painting big is something I really am enjoying and learning to do it in my way. To keep a sense of intimacy, like within my sketchbook, I weave small brush strokes, dabs, and details together and work a quadrant at a time. Maybe it's like making a quilt, a piece at a time? Anyway, the eye has to meander, has to journey across the piece. As I have been working on this painting I realize that I walk away without a clear image of it in my mind, rather, with more of an impression. The composition just isn't so simple that it sticks in your mind like a bullseye. I like (looking at and creating) work that makes you curious and come back to meet it again, to discover what you didn't see the first or second time.
