Cerulean Seas, Painted at Terranea on last Monday while teaching my plein air class, it as a gorgeous day! Went to paint the sunflowers with my students but they were gone, just bulldozed that morning, so unstead we went to one of my favorite new spots :)
Painted Sunflowers Yesterday after delivering a painting to a collector. What a wonderful experience. I think I will celebrate my Independence with another sunflower painting today. The amazing blessing I have the opportunity to do this, I am extremely grateful for. I think that gratitude came across in my painting. Someone saw it and cried... good tears, someone saw it and giggled, maybe didn't hit them the same way, but that is what is great about art, not everyone has to respond the same way, but that response is what I strive for ... why I call it responsive painting. Some tighter more academic work hits others, some more illustrative story telling connects in a deeper way with someone else. I love those as well think they are all valid. To me though, the ones that hit that deepest cord are the ones I respond to, the ones where you see the years of craft mastery study , and yet their innocent reactive-ness and interplay of the artist hit by the subject and paints directly... that are fresh, responsive moments ~ after the craft is learned and has the rare skills to convey that slice of time. When the artist reacts ~ responds without any intention or reason. That "caught me right then", not a planned glimpse on the day, not a needed image to fulfill a certain show idea, but that moment caught them right there. Just like when I was inspired the field of sunflowers and my heart opened and was filled with joy and peace... that moment of simple beauty there to observe respond and record. I'll post the shot will post a better one once it dries :)
