Final days at the Breckenridge Arts District March 2016

My last day at Breckenridge, with full mountain snowfall expected, I packed up all my belongings, 17 newly completed and still-wet paintings, and headed down the hill towards Berthoud and home.
Had an amazing two weeks here, painted a lot of new work that resonates mountain vistas (no small coincidence) and am prepared to re-enter my world, happier for the experience, and ready to continue my painting journey!!!
This group of photos shows progression from the beginning sketch through the final work, named Colorado State of Mind, 18x24, oil on linen:

Day Ten of Twelve-Painting Journal

Well, its been a long two weeks painting away from home, and as productive as I've been, I'm tired!  I've got two more full painting days, and will make the most of them, having loved this experience here at Breck Creates in Breckenridge Colorado so much!

Thus far, I worked on two canvases each day, with one day of rest and an edge-painting day I've completed 14 canvases all together.  They range in size from 24x30 to 10x12, with a personal favorite size of 18x24 included.  I've worked on perspective and atmosphere, and developed more foreground and structural elements in my work that give viewers a sense of recognition of place, something that my knife painting thus far suggests.

I'll keep painting with my palette knife as I feel such freedom of expression with that tool, but am pleased that I've worked foreground shapes and pieces that add another dimensional aspect to my work.  This painting, 18x24 Oil on Linen, was painted yesterday, and sums up my expressive experience to date.  It started with a general landscape plan and then the colors just compelled my continuation of the scene.  Its abstract, stylistically interpretive, and yet tells a story of place.

Day Seven Painting Journal

I rested yesterday and got a good start in the morning, I'm posting a few extra photos to show you the process and small adjustments that take so long and so much concentration and evaluation!  Check the final photo, I reduced some foreground and think it works much better!  This is once again a painting from a view looking down into the Hudson River where I grew up.  I get so much inspiration from that scene!  So beautiful!!

Day Four & Five Painting Journal

Saturday and Sunday were pretty busy here in Breckenridge, lots of visitors came into the Tin Shop to watch me work and ask me about my process.  It was also great having my family visit, getting homesick for them!!

I still have 8 more days to paint!  What will I work on next you probably wonder!

I decided to heed the local landscape call and painted two mountain scenes reflecting my time here.  I liked how the foreground and mid-ground was high value, it balances the far-off mountain range well in this first painting, and the second painting I worked on looks more like winter:

This second painting was more winter-y with snow-caps on the mountain range:

Day Three Painting Journal

I had a major painting day Friday, and afterwards went to Riverwalk in Breckenridge and watched a National Geographic slide show featuring a woman climber who, after 6 tries, forged her way to the top of K2 with no bottle oxygen!  I thought my day was productive til I learned just how many tries it took, and she persevered and made it to her goal!  Quite an inspiration, as all I want is to paint paint paint!!!  And paint well.  Something wonderful to keep a hold of, a goal, no matter what it is, is always a great thing to steer oneself towards.
Today's Painting is an 18x24 Oil on Linen: (Let's see if you can see all the subtle adjustments in the photos!)

Day Two Painting Journal

I've been really thinking of what happens in the far-off sky and atmosphere as it recedes back into space, when we look outward past the horizon lines.  I'm creating work that shows this beautiful perspective, merging my love for broad color fields with the soft essence of the sky.  In creating a balance between perspective of the foreground and horizon, I'll be working on lots of small works, and lead up to a 36x36 canvas early next week.
Yesterday's Painting, 18x24 Oil on Linen: