6″X6″ Oil in panel

It is very frustrating to spend a couple of hours struggling to get the blues and mauves right and then to be dissatisfied with the way they render on the computer. Violet does seem to be one of the hardest colours to reproduce.

This is a new format for me, I have wanted to try square for some time but I haven’t found a local source for square panels. I ordered some from Karl Heerdt at Twelve Oaks Studio Supply as well as some more of the standard 5″X7″ size which I have used before and like very much. They work out a bit expensive for me by the time you factor in extra shipping costs to get them over the border, but what else is new?

As I was painting this I was thinking about my inability to maintain a consistent style. Should I just give up worrying about it I wonder? I was hoping that this blog would help me find a style that I could be happy with but I really don’t think I have it in me. I get bored doing the same sort of thing over and over. I know there are daily painters out there who have built a good business out of producing hundreds of paintings of fruit and vegetables or flowers or local landmarks. I can keep it up for a while and then I need to do something else. Today’s painting was fun because the colour was so challenging, the landscapes are enjoyable but almost too easy. What I really enjoy the most is figure sketching so maybe I should try to do some serious portraits.

I bought a couple of very large canvasses yesterday, so I will see if I can think of something to use them for. It seems like such a commitment to embark on something that I will need to work on over several days, or even weeks, as I really can’t paint much during the week.