Week 9. "The Travelers" 30"x40" oil on canvas

Every painting begins with an idea, sometimes very specific and sometimes just a vague outline. No matter how clear the idea is when I begin, my goal is never to produce the idea exactly. If I did I think the the final product would be static and dull. As a painting develops it begins to become it's own entity. It begins to dictate and demand what it will become. Mistakes happen and sometimes those mistakes take a fascinating direction. Sometimes what I had in mind doesn't work the way I thought it would. So as I work I must continuously step back and reassess what the next step will be. This was particularly true with 'The Travelers'. From the very beginning this painting took it's own course and I just had to go with it, hoping for the best. I do feel that the piece has a nice sense of immediacy. Look for the fish. I'm absolutely in love with them.