"WILD GARDEN"

"WILD GARDEN"

12x9"

oil on panel

I don't know if you've noticed, but I am working my way up in size.

I started with 8x8s and this is a 12x9.

I can't imaging using a knife with a 30x30 or 48x48!

My painting life has become exciting again.

For a long time (almost a whole year),

I lost my painting motivation and mojo.

It took learning a new skill, 

leaving a gallery that I had been with almost 14 years

(that takes a whole lot of courage),

and choosing a different path for myself.

I almost feel like I had to reinvent myself to go on.

So, I am learning the palette knife.

I've joined a couple of palette knife groups on facebook.

I've gone through and read my old books on knife painting.

I've checked out the paintings of artists whose work I admire.

I am even attending a palette knife painter's demo and

I have never done anything like that before!

I am also back on a quest to lose weight so my knees aren't so painful.

So I can walk farther and hike a little to get to those

scenes that I can't reach right now.

I have signed up for what feels like a million paint outs to places like:

Ghost Ranch

Los Poblanos

Bosque del Apache

Sante Fe and Canyon Road

Valle Caldera

Dixon

Pilar and the Rio Grande

Corrales

These are just a few of the cool locations!

I will also be painting at homes during the 

Corrales Garden Tour coming up in June.

I am also participating in an invitational Garden Show 

in Albuquerque coming up this summer.

So if you see me out in the landscape

with a knife in my hand,

looking a little lost - 

come on over and say hello.

Maybe we can sit in our chairs, enjoy a snack, 

and take in the lovely view of my painting location..... 
and I think my old buddy Tom would be proud
that I have taken on this new and exciting direction.