Using a LOT of paint..

I’ve been working on some larger pieces the last few weeks. It’s amazing how much paint I’m using!

I used to paint a lot of really large canvases. I found painting on tiny little canvases very limiting and loved the big, broad, brush strokes, and the looseness and freedom of ‘painting large.’ But then 2008 hit and collectors (or at least mine) quit purchasing big paintings for a while. So I started painting smaller. And they sold, so I painted more small ones because they were a good price point. There was also the instant gratification of lots of completed paintings.

Recently I’ve had several people ask me if I have any larger pieces and I’ve had to say no. So, I decided that maybe I should paint some. It’s really my preference, but gosh, I had forgotten how long it takes and how much paint I use. I paint with a lot of layers and some pretty healthy gobs of paint, so those tiny little tubes are going fast, even mixed with cold wax. This is the first in a series of abstracted marsh scenes using oil and cold wax. The wax creates this great layered effect and I like to scratch back through the layers to expose the color below.

I really love using a palette knife and the clean up is WAY easier than brushes, which is icing on the cake. This one is painted on a 24 x 24 cradled wooden panel which holds the ‘pull’ of the palette knife really well and makes for a solid finished piece.