Inspiration

After finishing "October," I still had time to do another oil sketch before the traditional Saturday lunch at Kelly's. My inspiration was the close values in the blue distant bluff and the brown riverbank in sunlight set off by the orange crane arm. I expected to wipe it off, but was pleased with finding the color notes and close values.

October

Fall is my favorite season. And I like that this one is lasting a long time. How do you depict the rich mosiac of October in Minnesota? The textures are softer and color radiates from the yellow grasses to the brilliant sky blue with wispy floating cirrus clouds.

Occasionally, after lots of "brush time" (as we call it), something new happens where the color and the brush strokes come together in a new and more confident way. "October" seems to have a new quality. I hope it is a glimspe of many more paintings to come.