I buy art books. I'm always thinking that somehow the info in these books is going to transfer immediately into my brain and I will suddenly become accomplished. However, often after I buy the book, I end up looking at pictures and skimming the text... not really digging in. For a lot of reasons recently I have REALLY gotten into Kevin Macpherson's book, "Fill Your Oil Paintings With Light & Color". Mind you the book has been sitting by my bedside for quite a while now and I've looked through it before... I've even referred to both of his books when I've had problems with paintings I was trying to resolve. But this time I was totally involved in reading and studying what he was saying. WHAT A WONDERFUL BOOK! And of course the photos of his paintings are inspiring as well.

Let's just say that having finished my first study of the book (I plan to go back and do it again) I'm still not accomplished.... But I am inspired!

I decided to set my sights on trees for a while.

Actually I'm going to be taking a workshop next weekend where I doubt I'll be painting trees. Yippee -- I LOVE workshops..! I'm looking forward to taking a class from Greg LaRock. More to come.

But here at home... trees will be my focus. Among my favorite trees are sycamores, so I found one where I could sit in the shade this morning and I just sat for a few hours and painted it. I tried to use Macpherson's suggestions ... failed miserably.... old habits are hard to break. Although I tried to simplify and block in big darks, big lights and get the colors (val-hues) right... I just kept picking at it till it bled. (A Frank Gardner quip.) The background trees are too blue ... my warms are probably too orange. Perhaps I'll fool with it later. (No plein air police in MY house!!) Probably I'll just leave it and do another on another day.. hopefully I'll do better.

It WAS a nice way to spend a couple of hours this morning, though.