Turpentine diaries

I finished Bench by the Lake in a short session yesterday. I hadn’t looked at the painting for months before yesterday’s session. It’s not unusual for a painting to be in-hand for a long time, and then–boom–I finish quickly.

The top painting in the photo, Keep Talking, is still raw. I am keeping it simple and direct. I am not advocating direct painting, but sometimes that approach aligns with my original intention, espically in small canvases like Keep Talking.

Direct painting has its own charm, which many painters today exploit, but it easily becomes self-conscious and precious and way too samey. Of course, avoiding an approach just because it’s popular does not guarantee that you’re on the right road. But what’s wrong with going your own way?