That's How We Learn

Post Office Street
Oil on Canvas Panel
8 x 10 in/20.3 x  25.4 cm
Copyright 2014

The new year brought a burst of painting energy. This time of year, with fewer hours of available daylight in which to paint and facing almost three months of winter, it was a nice surprise.

I would like to attribute it to wanting to paint with some new oil paints that were received as a gift; however the painting was completed using the paints I already had on hand because I want to use them up before opening new tubes of paint.

Call me process-driven.

I keep up my interest this time of year by viewing some paintings of a few favorite painters, such as the ones listed over there in the right-hand column and on sites, such as FASO's Boldbrush painting contest.

I attempt to take what I see and consider as good painting and incorporate some of those techniques into my work.

Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.

As a painter friend of mine always says, "That's how we learn."

Happy New Year.