 I remember a seventh-grade English assignment with Mr. MacAlpine, in which we had to take a familiar fairy tale, rewrite it as a multi-act play, and then reduce it to a one-act play. I don’t remember knowing what the point was at the time, but today I think I do. I give myself an “A” for “At last, I get it.”
Last year I painted a beach scene in oils at 18 x 24 in. It was so boring. This week, I tried it again in pastels at 9 x 12 in. Now I overworked it. Right after I finished (shoulder shrug), I tried it again, this time on a 4 x 6 in panel. I was deliberate with my strokes, but still did it in about 15 minutes. I had reduced the image to its simplest shapes, lines, and color, to understand which elements were most important. AND, while it’s a sweet little image on its own, it’s also just what I need as a study if I want to tackle this scene again at a larger size and expand upon what I’ve deemed are the crucial components. |
Later is what?
After settling into various desk jobs, I always said I'd get back to painting later in life, and later is now. Again means that I tried once before. I decided to write about my painting endeavor, too, as a learning tool, an accountability tool, and to stay sharp in case I have to go back to a desk job. Again. 
In front of a mural of a Tim Rietenbach painting in Columbus, Ohio
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March 2019
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