Last year at this time

Exactly one year ago, I spent the July 4th weekend finishing up a three-piece series in what was then a whole new style for me (shown below). I called this grouping the "Desert Series" for color and compositional reasons: the warm earthy palette, the strong horizontal direction of the bars of lines, and the open spaces between them seemed to refer to the desert landscape. (Confession: I have never been farther west than Illinois or farther south than Mississippi, but this is basically what deserts look like in picture books and Roadrunner cartoons.)



Contrary to my usual Gemini predilection for jumping from one artistic impulse to another, it's impressive that I've managed to stick with this particular color scheme and format. One year later, it has culminated in the "Autumn Lines Series" (3 of the 10 paintings in this series shown below). There must be something about working this way that is true to me, that I really mean to say, since it has sustained my interest and energy for a year (despite a few detours with silver spray-paint last January). I'm pleased to note that, during that time period, my use of color has become more subtle and individualized, and my compositions have become more carefully considered, yet I have maintained my signature line quality. Perseverance does pay off!