Fire and Rain

Autumn burned brightly, a running flame through the mountains, 

a torch flung to the trees.

September 2017

Who giveth rain upon the earth, and sendeth waters upon the fields: (Job 5:10)

This is the first time I've ever worked large format on a full sheet, standing at the easel. Remarkably freeing. This just came out of my head with no sketch. I adore orange and blue together - the juxtaposition of the warm and cool  complimentary colors evokes emotion. I threw some punches of Winsor Green (Blue shade) in, painting with the actual tube of paint and my fingers. When I finished the painting and kept looking at it, it whispered RAIN in my ear and I had to add it - or rather subtract it. The colors I typically paint with are non-staining so I was able to rub out the raindrops using damp paper towel pieces wrapped around a credit card. Keeping the focal point of the paper white, which I had preserved, then started to look like back-lit fog around the mountains and trees. In painting this I started to hear a hint of my own voice - that which is unique and individual about any artists expression. We start by imitating others in life, much like a child learns to talk. But at some magical point we push through and begin to hear our own voice and discover our own passion, our own style. I look forward to that journey of discovery.