Fruit Bowl with Water Jar

 

Fruit Bowl with Water Jar

8" x 8" oil on board

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My first painting since March.There are some practical reasons: we took on a complete kitchen renovation, and my studio (the corner of Sarah's office where I keep my supplies) was filled with boxes. I'm a full time special education teacher who runs an after school club.  My kids have sports nearly every single day. etc, etc, etc,. 

I don't know what you would call the other reasons - existential maybe? The instagram burnout is still fresh. I felt like I was painting for the wrong reasons. I also started to feel really selfish for spending so much time painting when so many other people (my wife included) don't have that time.  I felt like I needed to devote more of myself to my kids, which I have. Life just feels like spinning plates sometimes, and I needed to let a few drop.  

But, now that the kitchen is done, I've been feeling the urge. I've also hung a few of my paintings in the the new kitchen and that's made me think about which paintings I actually like and why I like them. I like paintings that are mysterious and abstract and far from perfect representations.  There are so many plates I can drop and need to drop. 

Meadowlark Plein Air

 

Meadowlark Plein Air

8" x 8" oil on board

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I painted this on a warm day back in March at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Vienna, VA.  FCPS had the day off and for some reason, I didn't think the park would be crowded.  I was wrong...I don't usually paint in high traffic areas so it was a little nerve wracking. I was amazed by the attention I received while painting as well as the lack of regard people had for my viewpoint.  I purposely chose an out of the way spot but that didn't stop people from putting down blankets or standing DIRECTLY in front of me. I had people taking pictures of me and my painting and all sorts of questions.  It was wild, and I didn't like the first painting I did (this is not it). So for this painting, I moved to an even more out of the way spot - basically a grove of pine trees in a far off edge of the gardens where I only saw a few people. As always, I see things I don't love about the painting after the fact but, overall, I like it. 

Hidden Falls

Hidden Falls 

8" x 10" oil on panel

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This is Hidden Falls in Grand Tetons National Park. I used a limited palette of only three colors, but It's been so long since I painted it that I don't remember what they were...I'm thinking cadmium red light, cadmium yellow medium and ultramarine blue. I like the light in this one.  I'll get to some of the reasons why I haven't painted in a long time in a another post to come.