A painting I just completed.  This painting is smaller than most of my work, 8x10". I had brought this painting home from my studio a few weeks ago and was very excited about how it was working, but there was something that still needed to be defined.  After spending a lot of time just  being in its presence, I became aware of the what the painting wanted.

There is often a lot of quiet time that goes into my work.  Being still, writing, and questioning.  I stare endlessly at landscapes.  I can't get enough of them.  Beyond the inspiration, there is so much information in a landscape.  As I think about that information, I have so many questions.  Questions that I am exploring in this new body of work.

My first blog post.  Where to start, how to begin, so much information!? Here goes...

Very excited to have completed this painting this past weekend.  It's likely to be the longest time I have spent or ever will spend on a single piece of my work-taking over 3 1/2 years to complete.  I started this large piece (6x8') while pregnant with my now 3 year old daughter (my last of 3 kids).  It was nearly finished just before I gave birth to her, or so I thought.  

Six months after she was born, I came back into my studio to work and simply couldn't relate to the work anymore.  I was stunned and struggled to connect with any part of it.  So it hung in the studio while I worked on other pieces.  Usually, when a piece just isn't working and we've exhausted each other, I simply put it away and move on.  But, for some reason, I couldn't let this one go as it had this undeniable presence. Over time I attempted to work on it, struggling with the paint, the marks, everything.  A few months ago the original work had become underpainting.  I once again set it aside.  Then, out of nowhere, espresso in hand, I came back to it.  As I was painting I could feel it all coming together, a euphoria.  It was an emotional moment.

I am usually surprised by the end result of my pieces. I never start with a plan.  I work intuitively, responding to the marks and lines and allowing them to guide me.  Over the next weeks and months, I'll begin to unravel some of the energy and layers that created this piece.