Location! and thoughts thereabouts

Location! [Sold] 12x12, Oil, alla-prima.

Post 'vacation' in a wintery-frozen landscape, I'm now back to my beloved warm sand and palm trees. Today I'm selecting from the archives. About 5 years ago, of my first few, "Location" was my first local landscape to sell from Eastern Shore Art Center, Fairhope. As I was just learning to play with the palette knife, I discovered a freedom that is not easily acquired with a brush. I like the variety of paint application: sometimes thick, occasional scratched-out palms, and the scumbled powdery sand. I remember my sister inquiring about the coral spots, my bright undertones. I think it adds electricity, a warm glow that I didn't want to cover up. So I didn't. Plus I added a little sample of the Gulf over the hill to get you moving.

Extra thoughts, notes scribbled at Carolyn Anderson's workshop, Weekend with the Masters 2011:

"If my work does not surprise me, how can I expect it to wow and dazzle anyone else." 

"We evaluate information by what we like." 

"Your brain determines what you see."

"Hopefully as artists, we can organize info in a more interesting, unpredictable way."

"dynamic tension --- created by shapes"

"assess transitions"

"learn to evaluate in visual ways."

"variations of the same language"

"reality and what you want it to be: two different things."

"the process creates the information --- painting is a process." 

"the principle of local color - your worst enemy." 

"negative and positive shapes combined"

"Put down what you think is interesting."

"Push light and shadow to say what's important to you."

"a painting that moves ~~~ on the cusp of a movement!"

"I have to go someplace I haven't been before; have to be open to doing something I haven't done before." (She doesn't try to visualize the finished painting and sees that as not risking, control.)