Expressionsim is always an adventure.

This is actually the first day all summer that I have been able to go outside and paint on my deck. Either the weather has been too hot, or its been too rainy or I’ve simply had too much school work. I still have several weeks to go in my graphic design class. Since I have lived here I usually paint outside where the light is awesome in the morning and evening.

So today when my appointments were finished, I gathered up everything and out to the deck I went. I am trying to increase my inventory for the Holiday Season, like most artists are right now. Our Selling season begins in earnest in the next 4 or 5 weeks. Commissions we get for the Christmas Season will carry most of us through until spring. Its an annual cycle for those of us who make and sell art

Today I was geared up for abstract expressionism. I’m painting on repurposed canvas. These canvases that I had painted on originally but I just didn’t like the way the paintings turned out so I gessoed over them. Both of these are 16 by 20 inches. It’s a refreshing size since I’ve been doing a lot of small format work for months.

Generally, when I paint like this, I simply choose a color scheme and mix the color on the canvas in a wild and free flowing way. I wasn’t really thinking about anything and everything. When I finished the first canvas and set it up to dry I suddenly noticed that there was already a horse or two making its self known. The result was many Impressions in the color.

When I started the second, I suddenly thought of Willem De Kooning’s work. I didn’t realize it but purple horses started appearing all over the palace on the canvas. Again I was mixing the color on the canvas and trying to make it as smooth as possible. When I realized they were already forming I simply began to stroke them in with deliberate moves of my brush.

I have been looking at a lot of horse rescue photography lately. Especially from those trying to preserve the wild horses. Subconsciously and emotionally I think its affecting my work. I can see it. Especially when I’m not controlling what I am doing and I have no plan to work from. Remember this is just the under painting not the finished work. The second horse painting is suppose to be predominantly violet. A color my printer loves to hate, as does my scanner ! Not only did horses show through but I happened to notice when I brought the painting inside that angels were blowing horns in the corner. Ok so now what.

When I started this adventure today, the clouds were to the west and south; generally not where we have storms. However when they come in from the north over the roof of my house I know its time to go in because a storm may be forthcoming.

The clouds were making their way toward me and I didn’t want to chance my work being ruined by the rain, so after 2 hours, a cup of coffee and a liverwurst sandwich, I brought it all inside.

As I write this I have decided to let the paintings determine what happens next. I will bog about that when they are finished.