And It Is...

...done! Plus a few detail shots so you can see some of the little things that make this piece so interesting.

There Are Only Six Words...

...that make me happier than having Megan tell me to rehang my work, take over a new wall, space it out, and make it look pretty. They are the ensuing thought, "now break out the laser level!" If only the photo could capture how pretty and clean it is...

So As It Turns Out...

...painting live trees is far more rewarding than painting burnt remnants of trees.

This Is How...

...I did it. One section at a time, step by step. First I painted in the background of snow. 

Then, using a straight razor, I cut out the shapes of the unburnt pines. 

Next, I painted them in and smoothed them over, gently blending the edges into the white to soften their outline. 

Then I did the same thing for the burnt spires of pine trunks before finally moving onto the next section. 

Unbelievably, this process took just under four hours for a section just over a square inch.

A Week's Worth...

...of painting, in pictures.

Each picture represents one painting session, roughly eight hours.

Over the course of the painting, I realized that I averaged 4 hours per square inch.

Some of the painting sessions were longer, some shorter.

But this last jump represents 15 hour painting session as I wanted to get out of the trees, so to speak.

Water...

...was the first painting I attempted to complete.

It was the most complicated, and had to be painted in sections.

I'd allow each section to dry before moving on to the next, working on it like pieces in a jigsaw puzzle.

Using this approach, the whites stayed white, and the darks stayed dark.

And most importantly, the detail stayed crisp.

The Next Group Show at RLS...

...has a theme of Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. My four selections are underway, based off photographs taken while on holiday in Jackson, WY. 

It is a little tricky painting a subject matter that I don't have a daily access to, but it turns out I missed the mountains too much not to paint these. 

My Newest Long Skinny...

...is in its very first stage of progress, above my very first long skinny painting. The first was competed in 1999. The shape doesn't change much, but the amount of detail does!

The Night Study...

...perhaps counterintuitively took the longest to complete. It actually had the most detail, albeit the tiniest of details, the lights that define the horizon line. 

And I think my approach to painting them is beginning to pay dividends, as each one, or each cluster of one, have their individually unique feel. Which I really appreciate more on my night ending walks from the studio to the car...

Sometimes The Most Fun Part...

...is peeling off the protective paper and tape to reveal the sides of these paintings. They are mounted on reclaimed wood from replacing planks of the gallery floors. Each one is unique, so it is a pleasure to find what is underneath. 

In The Breaking Light Of Day...

...the spartina has a subtle and soft orange tone. With a glaze of the same tones, this little study will be complete. 

The Third...

...of the series of three studies is at sunrise with a high tide. I tend to stay away from the genre, but the pastel sky is kind of fun, in a very soft, subtle kind of way.