Sometimes I get overwhelmed in problem-solving in my larger paintings....pushing will not help. It is all a matter of consideration and time. It is then that I need to play. Smaller paintings are the answer. These small works are often done of fruits and vegetables where I paint what I see. Their forms are already complex enough and the problems are usually readily solved. Most of these small works are color-driven and provide an opportunity to experiment with color that lies just outside of the reality, the local. I enjoy pushing those color limits just a bit. There are other notions to be practiced as well....the painting of a bunch of small berries as a mass, rather than each berry one-by-one. This lesson can be transferred to painting hair, bushes and a host of other things that benefit from massing. Play. With the benefits of play, I am further prepared to tackle more complex problems. Taking a break to play keeps us lighter....emotionally and with brush in hand.
