This painting was done as a study of fabric folds, for a workshop I took on that subject. But I also thought that the model had struck a wonderfully expressive pose and I really enjoyed working on the painting. I found the study of fabric to be good...it can be so tempting to just work on the expression of the model and not give adequate effort to the fabric which helps tell the story. This painting is 12" x 9".

By the way, I will be at art festivals in Texas the next couple of weekends so it will probably be at least 2 weeks before my next post.

This week's painting was done from a live model doing a quick pose...it was either 5 or 10 minutes to do this painting. She is standing on the sill of a large window at the Art Students League of Denver, where this was painted. Twice a week this time of year I paint in a class where we spend the afternoon (3 and a half hours) painting quick studies like this one. It is exhausting but a lot of fun, and great practice. In an afternoon we do dozens of paintings...each time going through the process of deciding on the composition and massing in the large simple shapes of the painting. There is not much time for finishing touches, so the paintings all look pretty sketchy like this one. I try to say as much as possible with each brushstroke. It has had an enormous impact on how I paint, even when I have more than 10 minutes!

Both the barn and the tree in this scene are old timers. I liked the curve in the tree trunk and the low branch, and the gentle curve in the front of the barn roof. Scenes like this one can be found in many places, but here we are deep in the heart of Texas, somewhere between Austin and Houston. I'll be heading there again later this month for several art festivals...maybe I'll find some more ideas for paintings!

This painting is 14 x 18 inches. I haven't come up with the right name for it yet.

This week I did a series of paintings of Elk Meadow, in Evergreen, Colorado...not far from my home. The painting depicts a clear but slightly misty day, in which the distant trees become more blue and less clear. This painting is 14 x 18 inches. Elk Meadow is a park with good trails through the meadow and up into the mountain (Bergen Peak) behind the meadow.