Now that this landscape painter is free from the burden (as well as the joy) that comprised my teaching assignment at the local college (see below) there really is more time to paint! Woopppee!

Because I have all this time on my hands it seemed to me that now is the perfect time to chat about how an artist knows when a painting is finished. Painters new to the complex task of painting often have a difficult time knowing when to stop, so much so that there is an often spoken of myth that we'd all have better paintings if there was someone in the studio with us to take the painting away at the right moment.

With that in mind I'm posting three paintings and discussing what I observe about their state of completion. As I finish up each I'll post the completed work along side the painting as it is now. Feel free to decide for yourself if I did OK deciding:)

None of these have titles yet... if you've been reading this blog for any length of time you know how bad I am about coming up with titles! About three years ago it dawned on me that life would be a whole lot easier if the paintings each had a number... like so d'uhhh! This is number 378 and it's size is 16 by 20 inches, oil on stretched canvas.

This scene is a beautiful pasture out east of Ramona on the way to Santa Ysabel. I've wanted to paint it for years but something always got in my way. Then the Witch Creek Fire came last fall and this whole area was burnt. One recent day as I drove out that way and looked at the healing scene I knew it was time to paint that pasture in all its glory.

This painting might be finished. I'm looking at the right edge and wondering about it. Actually there is a bit more to the painting than what you see here in the photo, but still, I wondering about that area above the brush and below the far oaks. Time will tell. Usually if I don't look at a painting for a day or so it tells me what to do;) Yes, my paintings "talk to me."

This is painting number 376 and it's 14 by 18 inches. It's finished for sure. Now all I need do is find a title for it... grumble! The location is Deer Canyon and I've painted a different view of it so I already have a painting titled "Deer Canyon".

Here's painting number 377 and it is 18 by 24... a real big boy for me, but I am working larger now! I'm certain that this guy is not near finished. How do I know? I dunno, I just do. It told me so:)

Did you ever come to a realization about what you had to do, and the decision popped to mind in a flash? You know, and you wanted to shout out, "Eureka!" I've recently had one of those moments and it's about teaching my advanced drawing class at the college. It's time to move on and give it up, and that's a big decision for me because I did love teaching it so much: great students, great facilities, and wonderful co-workers. I couldn't have been luckier than to teach there. But, my friends, it's over and done. I quit.

This landscape painter started teaching at the college about 7 + years ago. Each student who came through the doors of my classroom was a puzzle to be figured out: what role was art going to play in their lives, what had they learned to this point, and how could I help them achieve their dreams? I'll miss it, for sure.

Rehabilitation of my left knee is progressing slowly. (See story of car crash on 3/13/2008 for details, if you wish.) I begged off teaching this fall semester just now starting. But the writing is on the walls and if I'm to avoid a knee replacement some changes are in order and standing for 6 plus hours to teach my Friday studio art class is out.

Strangely, I feel totally OK about this! And here's why... I'm spending a lot more time painting:) How happy does that make me?! Woo-hooo! It's funny... you know how they say you have to let go of one thing in order to make room for another thing in your life? That's so true for me right now. I'm painting larger works and spending as much time as is needed on each painting. Right now I have a 24 by 30, a 14 by 18, and a 16 by 20 all in progress. I promise that photos will be posted real soon!!

Been working in the studio on canvases I started earlier in the year. It's hot out and this landscape painter could melt out there! OK, maybe not actually melt;) I am more that a little concerned about the West Nile Virus that's hitting our area and for that reason alone I'm inclined to spend some quality time with brushes and paint in my studio. My painting buddy just loads up with a thick layer of Deep Woods Off bug repellent but that's not my style. Did plenty of that when we lived on the west coast of Florida on the edge of the Everglades... and the mosquitoes were "that big"!

Meanwhile I have plenty of not-quite-finished paintings to keep me busy for a while. Here's one that's in a loosely painted variation of my personal style. It's that big view from the first pull-off as you drive out of Santa Ysabel to Julian. If it's a little hazy, and it was that day, it's just a whole lot of fun to let the paint slip and slide and forget about tight details in pursuit of an "impression" of the scene. After all, that's what the old California Impressionists were all about!

"View Over the Oaks", 9 by 12 inches, oil on canvas. Available: $375

It's always something! It's really hot these days so I'm inclined to do some studio painting for a while. And so the news that West Nile virus has been found in San Diego county is not rocking my world as much as it might have otherwise.

Yes, it's true: West Nile virus has been found in a large number of dead crows here, some less than two blocks form where I live! West Nile is carried by mosquitoes that hatch in stagnant pools of water. The large number of forclosures in the area, many with derelict swimming pools, make an excellent environment for those mosquitoes. So I'm very happy to stay in the studio right now.

Nothing new to show you at the moment, although I am working on about four paintings of various sizes. Hope they get finished up this week:)

Monday morning always rolls around regularly, coming right after Sunday evening, if you're ready or not. This weekend was very relaxing, and I hope that yours was too. Now it's back to work and for me that's painting so it seems more like "play" than "work". Ya gotta love what you do... and this landscape painter sure does!

The collector base for landscape paintings is always changing. Seems like people get into it for a while, fill up all available wall space, and have to stop. It's a sad day when the realization sinks in that they simply can't add one other painting to the wall because if they do either the wall will give out... or the spouse will;) One collector I know had to open a gallery so that he could continue to buy art!

Right now on eBay I'm offering various small studies. I sometimes paint them before I get going on a larger work in order to work out the composition or the color palette. At a scant 5 inches by 7 inches, they might fit even the most avid of collector's walls space. Each is painted with the usual top-of-the-line paint I use on my larger paintings. They are painted on canvas mounted to panel... you see them in art stores ready-made and called "canvas boards". Here's one below on eBay right now for $45. If you want to check it out just click on the link to that auction below the painting.

"Study 374", 5 by 7 inches, oil on canvas board. Available: $45

Link to the Auction on eBay