It's been awhile since my last posting; a lot has been happening. Out of state family visiting (with the new babies playing a prominent role) as well as getting my new vegetable garden planted and then rabbit proofed.

My agent has asked for new works based on the Aerial/Valley Views which have been loved by so many since I began development of them just over a year ago. I had been using oils to paint them which with the multiple layers of paints; building the colors and surface up it could take a month or more to finish off a painting (what with drying time between layers). So for the past few months I've put a concerted effort towards finding a comparable approach using acrylics.

I absolutely love working in oils, the lush and juicy abilities of the paint, the ease of mixing color and building texture as I paint, the ability of changing things as I go so easily, such as softening edges or blending. Yet the drying time can cause me to loose some of my focus (unless I make notes to myself) and the vapors from the mediums can be harmful...

Acrylics have their own pluses and negatives. I love how easily and quickly numerous layers of glazes can be built with a great deal of control over the tinting. But building up of the textures with acrylic has presented me with challenges! The paint shrinks so very much as it dries...working in wet paint I get where I just love the depth of texture but then come back after it's dried only to be disappointed. Now I haven't tried out all of the Heavy Body acrylics that are on the market (that can get VERY expensive to do...) so how to achieve a comparable "look" from the oils but with acrylics?...In a process that I can control and repeat as needed...?

This 16" x 20" View From Above acrylic on canvas is the first painting that came close to what I've been striving for. Multiple layers of paints and those paints ranging from thin glazes to very thick (heavy body) texture paints combined with a bold and simplified composition works for me. Now...will it work for my agent and his clients?

The Valley View concept is proving harder to achieve but I've made some break through this week...see some of the up coming posting here for my progress.