Sunday, December 28, 2008

reflections, goals, insights

I'm not a person who makes New Year's resolutions, but I do take time to redefine myself and look through fresh eyes occasionally. Working outside my comfort zone and painting with more insight, I hope to become a better painter. I've been self-limiting this year, but reflections on the past only serve to cast more light upon the future.

The subject of this plein air painting is an old oak tree situated on a knoll which overlooks a nearby Civil War battlefield. The tree has become a fixture in many of my paintings. It seems I'm captivated by Nature's light and how it plays across the area. Studying the tree has helped me 'see' rather than just 'look'. I'm always amazed at God's palette and how we mortals struggle to capture His works on canvas.
BJ Wright http://beejw.blogspot.com/

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2 comments:

Kathleen Harrington said...

I'm new to plein aire - short sason here in Ohio - but I love painting landscapes and I've enjoyed this blog.
Kathleen

bj said...

Kathleen, thank you so much for taking time to comment on our blog! Painting en plein air is a wonderful experience, isn't it?? The more you get outside to paint, the more you see...light, shadows, reflections, dark darks, bright lights...just everything. We're hoping for an early Spring so we can paint without heavy overcoats.