Wooden Boats                                          11x14       
                                                               

 

                                           Dockside                                                  9x12          

                                                   Red Sails                                    14x11    

Lately I have been painting small paintings...8x10. 9x12 and 11x14.  Not my usual format at all but galleries want smaller paintings in hopes of selling for the holidays. Since I am most comfortable painting large to very large works I find this format most challenging.

You'd think smaller means easier or at least quicker, right? Well no. It takes the same amount of planning and designing your composition, deciding what you want to emphasize in the painting...is it light, color, mood or subject  etc. In other words creating a painting instead of copying a subject or being literal.

Smaller might mean less paint and a little quicker execution but I find it harder to paint small strokes with brush or painting knives than the big swooping strokes using your whole arm and shoulder, like I do when painting large.  They both take concentration and energy. The biggest challenge for me is to not overwork paintings because they can become very stiff. My favorite works are the ones that flow and are spontaneous.

Here are some of the newer paintings that are being exhibited in various galleries for this season. Hope you enjoy them.