I wrote recently about looking back at what I'd been doing, and it seems like a good time to pause and take stock.
Having consigned half my recent paintings to the kindling pile, I then took a long look at what remained and picked around twenty pieces that could be worth showing.
There's a consistent theme of landscape, with sub themes: the tree 'portrait', the light effect, the path in perspective, water and reflections, the horse, the house. All four seasons are represented, though mostly summer. There are several attempts at convincing skies.
In all of them there's a tension between finish and its absence, mostly caused by trying to keep the balance between making the mark and trying not to overwork the paint.
Attempts at making more ambitious works have foundered on the twin rocks of lack of preparation and this problem of finish. A big, complex realist painting takes a long time and a lot of work. If you're thinking of painting that way, here's a tip: do lots of studies.
Success? I've found my themes, and I now know how to tackle a new subject and assimilate it into what I can do.
Failure? I'm not half the painter I hoped I was. My ambition has outpaced my abilities.
Conclusions? I need tuition.
