Dear Friends,

Sometimes a great deal of thought and planning takes place before the first stroke of my paintbrush hits canvas or board. At other times the work emerges more spontaneously. 

While working recently on a commissioned series of large oil paintings entitled Beneath the Surface (related in a recent newsletter), I decided to experiment with the same paint colors on some smaller canvases.

Beneath the Surface in my studio. Now in the permanent collection of the Child Mind Institute.

The result is my latest series of oil paintings called Moving Along I, II, III and IV, 6 x 6 inches, oil on canvas.

With the opportunity to do what comes naturally, I returned to techniques usually employed in my encaustic work. I did a great deal of layering, then scraping away some of the oil paint with a palette knife to reveal the colors below.

Using the same paint colors from Beneath the Surface, I produced a completely different type of imagery and feeling in Moving Along. I used Venetian Red, for example, in the former work both as a base, and in very thin lines as an accent to the blue tones. Yet in these smaller canvases, I used that favorite color more liberally to temper the intensity of the blues.

Moving Along IV

Did painting in this style allow me to enjoy breaking free from working within the constraints of an assignment? Perhaps! But the art instructor in me also also knows that experimentation with color, application methods, and textures is a vital exercise in expanding visual language and sparking inspiration.

Moving Along III

I discovered that working on both projects simultaneously - adhering to the guidelines of my commissioned assignment while riffing freely with those same paints on a group of small canvases - was a satisfying balance of work and play.

Moving Along II

I hope that your new year is off to a good start, with time for some enjoyable work and play of your own. Thank you for reading.

Warmly,

Linda

P.S. You are always welcome to contact me to arrange a no-pressure visit to my studio to see my full collection in person.