When The Night Changes

From a photo I took at Manito Park. This isn't a spontaneous painting. I took the image from one of my photos. Many artists paint from photos, some paint photorealizm, others tweat the composition and lighting. I like to use a photo for a jumping off place. The spontaeous paintings seem more powerful and alive to me. They seem to be sending me information and energy. That sounds a little wooey, but this painting seems a little. I've included it because I'm working on being non-critical to my creations. I think this opens the door for more. If I criticise what I do and it is leading to something stupendous, I've slammed the door in my own face. Like in writing practice, just get down the first thought or image or impulse from the bottom of your mind. That's all there is too it.

Acrylic Painting: Birch Reflection

In the woods, standing water reflects a stand of paper birch. It is fall, and my friend, Charlie, who paints very large oil paintings, shot a nice photo of the trees reflecting in standing water. Leaves were floating on the surface. I wish I'd kept a sketch journal of our treks into the woods together. We'd cross streams and shuffle through brush, all in the name of a good shot for a painting. The paint in this piece is Windsor Newton Acrylic, the liquid type in tiny plastic bottles. The paper is Arches 80# cold press. I taped off a border with removable masking tape, painted for about an hour, removed the tape the following day when the piece was good and dry. When the tape come up, the crisp edge is a thrill to see, and the painting really pops out.