"Leaf Posing" 11x 14 oil on canvas 2024

                    

Sometimes I like to create in oil.  It has many similarities to pastel but I personally find Pastels to be more challenging yet more familiar to me.  One thing I dislike about oil is the reflection and the amount of time it takes for the multiple layers to harden. (Oil paint never dries.  Did you know that?  I was shocked when I learned that it actually "hardens'.)  Pastels are immediate. No waiting.

The piece above is oil.  I did maybe 10 layers of various thin application of color on top of a brown under painting. I wanted the leaf to glow to show that it has energy. I wanted to mix colors through layering to get multiple values and hues. I put it in a night landscape because I have spent a lot of time in my life staring out the window at the soft Wood County open fields when I couldn't sleep at night. Of course I didn't sleep well as I was caring for Dad during his last few weeks.  Looking out the dark window during this time and remembering the gold leaves inspired this painting.

Any how, if you look at the photos below you might understand my fascination with leaves, nature and open fields.  You see these influences in many of my still life.  These are photos of my parents yard.  Dad took such good care of his garden like yard for the 60 years that he and mom lived here.  It makes sense why going to my childhood home for several months was so emotionally healing for me. All I needed was the love of my large family and a few walks around the property.

I started this oil above during this time but finished it last week.  I called it leaf posing because the shape of the leaf looked like something I might draw in life drawing class of a posed model. It has no deep message but it was healing for me.

                                             Where I grew up, in Bowling Green, Ohio.