Demo Painting

Beyond The Horizon, 11"x14"

This fall I painted at the gallery as part of an art walk event. I'm a studio painter, meaning I'm not set up to paint on location anywhere other than my studio. I do happen to have a lightweight easel, so I took that. I emptied a rolling cart of drawers filled with acrylic paints and put in my needed oil paints and supplies to create an easily transferable taboret. I packed that, standing up, along with the easel and a TV tray, into my Element, using the easel as a wedge to keep the cart from falling over.

Since I knew I was going to do this I put a first layer of paint on a small 11"x14" canvas. I chose a landscape as subject matter because I've done so many I knew I wouldn't have to make any critical decisions about it while painting. I'm sure some painters do their best work while on location, but I get too focused on the activity of people around me (that's why I'm a studio painter).

I think of demonstration painting as more a teaching experience than productive painting time. I know folks want to see an artist paint because it is so interesting to see someone "do that". (So do I!) I answer a lot of questions, which I am happy to do.

What was most interesting to me about this demo experience was that I ended up very pleased with my painting. I thought I had gone too far with the lights in some of the grass colors, but once I got it home I decided it made a much more vibrant painting. The lightest grrass colors look more like the sun is shining brightly on them.

So, a painting I thought would be a dud ended up getting a hanging wire and a title.