Painting From Studies_a demo, 16 x 20

"Draught Breaker"__16 x 20, state one demo, oil on linen panel___available after a little refinement

I drove 150 miles through driving rain to do this demo for the Brownwood Art Association. What a great group showed up! I was VERY honored, because it was a PERFECT DAY for these artists to stay home in a dry, cozy studio ...these are my favorite days to paint!!! It is still raining, the Round Rock (literally) on the Chisholm Trail through my town is 2 feet under the RAGING waters of Brushy Creek...and Texans are giddy! All the tanks (ponds) are FULL!!!

Now, about this painting:...I used to feel like I was cheating, because the painting happens so fast when I work up a small study to a larger canvas. But nowI figure that it's no different than the graphic designer who must wrangle several versions of "mock-ups" or rough art as they design, before settling on the final version. (I did this for years, in my "old job"and have file cabinets and computer files FULL of layouts with rough art...because whatever elements weren't used in THIS design could be used in THAT design...so I kept ALL the studies!)....BUt, as a "plein air - daily painter - instructor" I find that my "rough art" is the little paintings....sometimes a little one HAPPENS to be well composed and "worthy" of a large canvas, so those are the ones I work up in the studio, using the small one as reference....the good thing is, I can sell the little studies at little prices!...Kevin MacPherson compares painters to musicians saying "Painters are the only ones who can sell their rehearsals!"

Upcoming Workshop: February 5-7, 2010 Fredericksburg Artists School