Mt Woodson Boulders #23 Oil on Panel 8″ x 10″ 4/13/09
I have been distracted over the past few weeks with animation work from Boston as well as a trip up to LA and a few other things. But I did manage to hike up the mountain again to work on this study. I’m not sure what I think about it yet. I really need to continue with these studies and find more ways to simplify and yet keep the light, space, and form of the boulders rock solid. I find it maddening to keep my focus on simplification rather that description – whenever my attention wavers I always seem to slip into wanting to add detail. As I clear my things to do list of non-painting work I hope to return to the mountain with renewed vigor to deal with this issue. As a note of interest, while working on this painting a bobcat walked behind me only a few yards away – according to a couple who happened to be walking nearby at the time. I was crestfallen that I didn’t get to actually see the bobcat myself!
I have been spending more time with my other blog, Painting Perceptions. It has been helping me with my own work by looking at how other painters have dealt with this simplification issue. I just wrote an article about Edwin Dickinson that hopefully will be useful to someone. I am also planning a trip in a couple of weeks to both Boston and Philadelphia to see show by both my old teachers, George Nick and John Moore. I also plan to see the big Titian, Tintoretto, and Veronese show at Boston’s MFA along with the big Cezanne show at the Philadelphia museum of art. As an added bonus there is also a Scott Prior show at the Alpha Gallery in Boston. I am pumped!