Yellowstone Aqua

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16x12", water mixable oil on panel, 4/6/2015

I've been taking a little break from landscapes lately, but I pulled out the photos from our Yellowstone trip last fall, and decided I should give this one a try. I don't know. I'm pretty happy with this painting when I see it in person, but when I shrink it down on the computer screen, I'm not so sure about it... what does that mean? 

What I do like about this landscape is that I was able to keep some of the spontaneity I feel working from life, while working from a photo. I've found that if I squint (actually, I sort of slightly cross my eyes, which seems to work better for blurring the image for me), and don't look at the subject too long, then I don't get too caught up in the details. Maybe someday I'll get to a point where working the details doesn't ruin the "fresh" quality I'm going for, but right now, I think I do best when I just quickly record the value and color I see, then leave it alone. I've been reading a biography of Robert Henri this week, and he's got me thinking all impressionist-like. I'm still trying to find my style :)

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