It's been a little while since I've shared some art on here and I figured this is also a good time to give an update about some upcoming events.
  First thing to discuss is that next week classes begin for the Ridgewood Community School.  As always, I'm very excited for classes to begin.  There's still time to register for classes HERE.
 The next thing in the hopper is that I'll be giving an online lecture for the Atelier at Flowerfield on March 24th; this news is hot off the press and I'll share the exact information and details as soon as it's confirmed.  As of now, the title of the lecture is: Painting En Plein Air: From Ideal to Practice.  This lecture will cover the history, materials, methods and practices of painting en plein air.  This will be a great lecture for anyone who's interested in the history of painting en plein air, but also for anyone who's interested in starting to work en plein air themselves.
  I'll also be teaching some en plein air workshops later in the spring and I'll share information about them ASAP.  I'm just really happy to see some warmer days and to get back out there painting and riding my motorcycle.
  In my own studio: I'm currently working on a commission of a beautiful dog named Idgie.  I'm on day 2 of painting and it's progressing quite smoothly.  (see below).  This is the point in the painting once all the masses are in and now I can focus on getting those magical details and adjustments.  
​  I hope everyone is enjoying these last few weeks of winter and I look forward to getting back in the teaching saddle next week.

  So I was working on a commission today and really doing battle with it and it all became so clear to me.  I've been looking for ways to make painting easier and I've realized that it's NOT easy and it never will be.  
  I was working on this commission and really struggling.  I haven't done a pet commission in a bit and it seemed extra difficult.  I kept pushing and sweating and it finally turned a corner and looks good to me.  It's like the magic of a painting is buried somewhere in a pile of hard work and that's a hard thing to accept; I think the media in our society is always telling us ways to do something more efficiently and faster ("one weird trick!"), but that doesn't apply to the craft of painting.
  I'm very hard on myself and I demand perfection out of my work.  I don't mind walking through hell to get the painting done.