03.01.2012 ~ rio grande autumn

I’ve been cleaning out my studio — moving everything off the walls and out from floor stacks to make room for new work. It’s liberating to have blank walls….and not a little bit intimidating. But mostly it’s inspiring to consider the possibilities and potential those clear expanses of wall invite.

Among the paintings being moved out are a several autumn scenes I painted late this past year and never got around to sharing here.. I had forgotten about them, and was rather charmed to find them again.

Looking at this painting, I’m reminded of what a menace I am come autumn…. I’m just a dangerous driver when the cottonwoods turn golden in the autumn; I can’t take my eyes off of them. The roads would be a whole lot safer if I just sat in the passenger seat and let someone else drive.
“PULL OVER!!”

Anyhow, I like the sketchiness of this — that it was done quickly, without deliberating too much. The main masses of colors were made, and then just a few smaller details merely suggested. I like, too, that I left some of the stained canvas exposed — those patches of rust bleeding through.