It's been awhile...

It is almost February, 2014...so much has happened since I last posted. But I am still painting, just haven't posted in awhile. My intent now is to catch up, uploading pictures of my finished paintings with stories of how they came to be.

This painting, titled "Hope", was painted in August, 2013.

I had been struggling with this canvas for some time...it looked a lot different before. The flowers were queen Anne's lace and orange lilies, with lavender and vines painted in great detail. There was no window, or glass jar...  Then it sat there on my easel because we were busy seeing doctors for my husband, Bob. I grew to hate the painting. I just wanted to finish it, and move on, but couldn't find where I was going with it. It seemed foreign, something I couldn't connect with. So it sat there...

Then the last Monday night in August, we found out the results of the 2nd biopsy, I was exhausted and went to bed at 9:00. I got up at midnight because I couldn't sleep. I opened the window in my studio (dining room) for some fresh air.  With only the chandelier casting light on my canvas, I started painting. I painted over the pretty white flowers and the big orange lily, added the windowed door with the distant light coming in through the top, and painted in the jar using dark glazes. The painting seemed to talk to me, which is odd because I usually have complete control of my composition. I used bigger brushes than usual, and before I knew it the sun was up, and this is what I got. The lavender is barely there compared to my start, the fern just developed, and the mystery of the windowed door appeared. 

Most of my paintings hàve started with photos that I take, which I carefully crop for good composition. I then try to paint freehand what I see in my photo. I don't use any mechanical means to copy, and I don't trace my photo, but I do try to make it look like my photo.  I sketch directly on my canvas with a pencil, or if I start out with a dark painted background, I use chalk. This painting is not painted from a photo, or au plein air...it was painted from my feelings, memories, and hope.