TM8581 A Quiet Place 36×36 oil on panel

I doubt there is one reason for choosing to paint A Quiet Place. I know I want to spend imaginative time there. I also like reminding people of the joys of being outdoors, and the importance of preserving habitat. Maybe it’s also my way of being disconnected from the electronic world and more connected to the wonders of nature. It doesn’t really matter once I start painting. From that point on I’m lost in a private world of color, shape, and memory, with occasional glances at reference photos. The only questions are: does it work? does it feel right? Details below. Enjoy.

TM8581 A Quiet Place – detail from left side with treetops and distant ridge line

TM8581 A Quiet Place – detail from left side with waterline, vegetation

TM8581 A Quiet Place – close-up showing underlying loose brushwork

Technical painting notes:  While I usually explain the fine points of how a painting was created in the technical notes section, this time I want to share my process for beginning a commission. Prior meetings with the gallery, client and designer have established the parameters of the commission – a 36×60″ pond view based on a series of photos taken during various weather conditions at my favorite pond. While the panel is being prepared, I’ve decided to work on a few paintings that will be large studies (and complete paintings in themselves). The purpose is to begin imagining myself in the scene, work out scale and color issues, and get “into the zone.”