inspired

Western Lights

11x14

oil on canvas

there's a lot of inspiration in the sky lately.  i've been taking pictures of clouds and sunsets and i have lots of photos as food for paintings.  i've been working on some small works and some things that i don't like enough to share.  hey, they can't all be gems!  gotta learn and grow and experiment and fail in order to find the things that work (and those that don't).

there are certain lights that i want to capture that i see in new mexico.  every week on my way out to the softball fields i would pull over and take pictures of the western skies on my phone.  they were the most expressive clouds!  i love when rays of light push through these heavy dark clouds and shine down on the ground like the rays are so determined to do their jobs that they battle their way through.  and ever since i was a kid i always imagined that wherever those rays hit on the ground something amazing was happening, not like a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, but someone was being born or given a gift.

i want to do a larger piece like Western Lights.  my smaller works are selling more right now, so i'll continue doing them, but the expressive painter in me really really wants to work large scale!  can you imagine this the size of your wall?!  i'm going to need a bigger studio...

in other news, i'm planning a week long Colorado driving trip to hit all the scenic highways during peak fall times.  i have a big fold out map and highlighters and i'm mapping out my driving strategy.  there's something about road trips that just gets me so excited!  i love road maps and exploring and seeing things i've never seen before.  can't wait to experience the mountains and the fall colors of the trees and you know i'll have a ton of pictures to show you!  tomorrow i head out for a hike at tent rocks and then back to the studio.  better rest up!  namaste!