Oil on panel, 16 x 16 inches
In the studio
 
About this oil:
I don't often work at this scale in oils. The size was kept small to quickly layout an idea of intensely colored trees without being concerned about their specific shapes or the season, just the color itself.
 
It made for a quick start and some exciting color relationships emerged quickly. The trees on the left with their diverging shapes and darker colors were added for contrast. That's when it started to get interesting.
 
Here's the thing about smaller works: they can take just as long as a painting five times the size, but I wasn't concerned about that. I knew it would take real problem-solving to bring these unusual shapes and colors together into something that worked. That's part of the process I actually enjoy.
 
Like any of my larger canvases, this one spent time off to the side where I could live with it, compare it to other pieces, and let it tell me what it needed. Eventually a few decisive moves brought it home, and it ended up with some of those gem-like color qualities I was after. I liked it enough that I'm excited about starting a larger version tomorrow.