“Edge of Town Sunrise” contemporary figurative painting. acrylic on canvas. 24 in x 30 in.

“Edge of Town Sunrise” contemporary figurative painting.

When I started this painting, I painted quickly that night working from memory, but I decided to stop because I had no model or picture or anything to work from, and I didn’t want to ruin it.  So it sat unfinished for months.  Every time I looked at it was frustrating. The painting begged to be finished, but I was reluctant to touch it because I had nothing to look at, just memories, and I didn’t want to ruin it. Unfinished seemed better than wrong.  Still it bothered me every time I looked at it sitting there half done.

Then I decided to risk it.  I worked fast and loose, meaning that I tried to emphasize color and harmony of light (as best as I could with my limited understanding), and I didn’t worry too much about small details or fixing sloppy brushstrokes.  Instead, I tried to look at the scene as a whole while painting and judged the success of a brushstroke in context of the whole.

I think that the painting is a success overall and I am excited about the coming months.  This spring I will be photographing landscapes and painting outdoors.  I think I have started to grasp the fundamentals of brushes, composition, how to blend paint, etc. I think my paintings this spring will be pleasing.