Woods and Water Abstractions

I did these four little abstractions based on the water section from the large "Red Reflections" painting that I did last week. Now I am wondering if I should make one of these bigger?





My preschool glass made some pseudo stain glass for the school's window last week. Everyone loved the results.

Reflections of Red

Another attempt at water reflections from a sketch in town after the rains last week. It doesn't have the quick wet brush strokes of the last two paintings. Those strokes went well with the water subject. Quick wet strokes are pretty tough to pull off in acrylics because the media is fast drying. I have to be sure of the plan and I changed my plan on this painting a couple of times before I got an interesting surface and composition. I did enjoy the layering and acrylic is great for that. I also used a bigger canvas than usual which makes working wet harder. I don't know why I have this eternal optimism that the next painting is going to be great, so much so that I go out and buy a big canvas. Otherwise I wouldn't keep trying I guess. I wonder if I should use this painting as a study to make a more abstract version?

New Direction in Reflections?

Reflections on the Santa Fe River

This is a bit of a different approach for me. I always struggle with getting a full series or body of work but perhaps this direction will be different. I am thinking I want to do many of these very quickly. Usually I really exhaust one painting at a time, doing two to three paintings on one canvas, painting over and over and over it. So wish me luck with this new attempt. I was inspired to paint these from our last canoe trip on the Santa Fe. The water was so dark, glassy and still. Yesterday I did sketches of the rain puddles around town.

Van Gogh

We are exploring Van Gogh's work in my preschool art class. Has their ever been an artist so universally loved by all levels of artists? From novice to professional everyone loves Van Gogh. I read a biography of Van Gogh and he had several causes for his mental illness. He seemed to experience emotions so intensely and that energy comes across in his paintings. He experienced very little acknowledgement, only selling one painting in his short lifetime but he had the unfailing support of his brother to sustain his painting. He wanted so badly to connect with people: first trying to be a pastor, then with women that didn't love him and fellow artist Gauguin. Now he connects with people through his art, wish he could have known that when he was living.
In class, I just told the children that Van Gogh had sunny days and rainy "sad" days. When making the flowers we talked about texture, opaque, transparent and recycling.