Produce Stand

11x14 oil on panel

This is the one I've stewed over for a week. I had done the gray scale version of this in order to figure out the values. The majority of it being in shade threw me apparently. I know that I respond to and am inspired by strong contrasts of light and dark, but this scene really struck me with the backlighting and softer, subdued foreground. And I knew it could work, I just had to get what I envisioned out of my head and through my brush. And man, did it feel great!

I struggled last week with time... always something lately interrupting my studio time. The week before, I was struggling with brushwork ... trying to define too much, paintings looked like patchwork quilts. It all came together in this.

I actually went on to paint two more lovely paintings yesterday (if I do say so myself!) And one today. Hopefully the weekend will not disrupt my new-found creative spark. We have just one week of school left now too - so I have to be busy next week! I wanted to have all my work done for the show in July so I could just focus on framing and such, but dragging my feet the last two weeks has put me behind. My daughter very kindly says she will let me paint. We shall see how that works out. She doesn't have a camp set up until mid-June and then later in the month, we are off to Florida. I look forward to posting all my show paintings leading up to the opening in Vermont. Sprinkled in with some Florida beach scenery. Ah, summertime!