The Van Gogh Canvas Attack

My current "project"--my goal--in painting daily is that I will loosen up my hand in painting and get more comfortable with it. I am comfortable and confident drawing, but I am intimidated when it comes to painting.

 I did two paintings on Friday morning, 07-30-2011. They are entitled Cheshire Sunrise I and Cheshire Sunrise II. These paintings are good examples--in my opinion-- of my hand beginning to loosen up and my brushstrokes becoming more bold and confident.

One reason these paintings turned out this way is because I was racing to transcribe the sun as it came through the trees and headed up into the sky--I didnt have time to tighten up and plan and get really precious and precise.

I love these fast attacks!

Cheshire Sunrise I



Cheshire Sunrise II



I am reminded  of what I read in The Yellow House: Van Gogh, Gauguin, and Nine Turbulent Weeks In Arles. In this marvellous book the author, Martin Gayford, describes Vincent van Gogh's Sabre--slashing--attack of the canvas with brush and palette knife.

I am no Vincent, but I think I can learn from this Sabre Attack in which I just get the paint on the canvas instead of laying it down then pushing it around here and there.

One tendency that I have had is putzing around with the paint until I overwork the canvas and make a mess.

Please wish me luck as I work on my artist's project.