Back to work (more or less)

As I sit here waiting for a box of paintings (baker’s dozen, thirteen 20” x 20” pieces) to be picked up for a shipment to Naples, Florida, my thoughts wander to my studio and to all the possibilities brewing there. Sometimes it’s good to have a break from working. A fresh view.

I’d left some unfinished work and the ideas have been tumbling through my mind for a couple of weeks. A friend had come over the week before I left for Ottawa and encouraged me to leave even more of the under-painting exposed. I’ve been moving in that direction, but often I go too far in tidying up towards the end and losing the initial exuberance.

The (more or less) black and white pieces I do on paper usually stay more expressive because the color is so limited and the paint very fluid. I worked on a series of these pieces just before the holidays. The intention was to take two for my sister’s anniversary party. But I never got there due to the weather; they will have to be mailed. So I’ve had a lot of time to ponder what makes them different from the larger oil canvases. Now let’s see what happens.