I never met a tubed color I didn't like.

However, this landscape painter has been working on the theory of "less is more" when it comes to tubes of paint. Let me explain. When you travel out to paint, and I do like to do that, it makes all the sense in the world to trim down what you take with. So a limited palette of 7 to 9 tubes of paint seems about right. You don't usually have a lot of time on location before the light changes so you paint smaller paintings. Logical, no?

Back in the studio, well you are free to do what you please:) There's this theory of landscape painting that says that you should use the same or similar paints back in the studio so as to preserve continuity within your paintings go from plein air painted on location to studio paintings. Also logical.

But then there's this problem I have about loving the tubes of paint. It's not just loving the color but also the fun and challenge of coming up with ways to use each of them and their various admixtures with other colors... and let me tell you, the combinations are limitless.

Recently, a painter friend emailed a YouTube video from one of our favorite artists, Karin Jurick. In it Karin explores her color palette as she squeezes out the paints, one by one. It's a riot to watch! Here's the link.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAIs1S_zAMI

It got me thinking about how much fun it might be to paint with all those colors. So I drug out a bunch of tubes I don't usually paint with. I did a small painting just to see if it was as much fun as I thought... and it was! Here's the painting I worked on, below. After that I went to the garage and found a tool box of paint tubes given to me by someone who no longer worked in oil. I opened it to find the most unusual colors so I got another canvas and did the under painting in a violet and orange I never touch! Cool!! Am I having fun;) I'll post this second painting as soon as it's dry enough to photograph. It's nice to shake things up every once in a while. Meanwhile here is the first color experiment... and it looks very normal, if I do say so.

"Pines of San Jacinto". 9 by 12 inches, oil on canvas.