Experimenting like crazy

In the past few days I've done more work that I couldn't keep
than work I will show. I've been working on a big
commission, and in between I've been trying out new
things (for me) and learning. Very tame results so
far.

It was the first day of school today -- so learning
seems appropriate. I met some of the students I'll
be teaching this fall, and felt the excitement I always
feel about going back to school. The people on the team
I work with are fantastic, and I have so many dynamic,
and incredibly funny colleagues.

Nasturtiums in my garden
Gardeners forgive the weeds.
One of the gardeners has
been out of commission

Inspired by the positive feeling at Seneca, I came
home and picked nasturtiums in the garden, then
set out to paint them using a palette knife -- and brushes.
I've painted one other painting with a palette
knife, and that was a large canvas. In that case
I isolated the techniques using a large palette
knife, more like a plasterers tool on one area,
and a fairly flat paint technique in another.

Nasturtiums in a small jug
acrylic on canvas
7" x 9 "
Not finished

This little painting is not complete. I'll finish
it tomorrow. The palette knife gets the
butterfly feeling of the blooms nicely. The
painting is too centered, and I think it needs
more dark, darks as my old teacher
Americo Del Col would say.

The main thing is I had fun doing it.

Have an absolute riot doing whatever you're doing today.