Oil on panel, 24 x 24 inches, framed
Private collection
 
My thanks to the new owner of this oil...
 
About this oil;
I love a good gesture in painting…how the paint comes off the brush in response to the wrist, speed, and pressure. That is what I set out to do with this small oil using tall, slender trees and the wisps of leaves I like to do, and then to try it out in blue.
 
The painting began with veils of different blues to create atmospheric effects and depth. At that moment I was debating if I wanted the forest wall to become more opaque and dense. 
 
In the meantime, I took the painting forward and added the trunks with their wispy stems and foliage. Hmmm... thinking about what should come next.
 
The phone rang.
 
I have learned that interruptions are very important because they take me out of the task mode. So, I took the call and moved out of the studio on purpose. Many artists, and me in particular, think we are completely aware of what is going on as we are working on a painting, but it is always surprising at how much we are really missing. Being on task isn’t equivalent to being mindful. 
 
The call took only 10 minutes or so, but when I came back into the studio I saw something very different. I expected to resume the oil in progress with the addition of more detail and color, a process that would take many more sessions. Still on my task, I was ready to get back in the studio and plow forward. 
 
The oil on the easel stopped me cold. What I actually saw was a fully-formed, completed work, a marvelous surprise! It was clearly a case of less is more.
 
OK, I added another 5 strokes or so, invisible to most, called it done and took a seat to enjoy it for a time.