A back injury and then the Covid-19 shutdown led me to study with a classical realism program devoted to accurate drawing of the figure (see “Figure and Cast Drawings) which has changed the trajectory of my landscape painting. The goal of achieving a “light impression” through careful handling of values and treatment of edges has affected my painting, primarily the watercolors. An example has been my inclination to work more “into the light.” See “House on the Park,” “417 61st Street,” and “Nicasio Church.” Other lighting situations have benefitted as well. I have always felt that accuracy in drawing helped me convey the true life of my subjects. But without a better understanding of values I was at a loss to convert my instinct into painting. And the meticulous classical methods of rendering have given me a new-found appreciation of the dedication and time required.
I spend a lot of time painting in my immediate neighborhood. My subjects have varied from the houses and their landscaping to people at a small pocket park. The challenge is capturing the dynamic of light and shadow. But I also feel the need to get further afield, taking the opportunity to attend group painting events, to paint the variety of terrain of the many State and Regional Parks that represent so well the beauty of Northern California. I prefer to paint en Plein Air and so, capture the immediacy of a place and distill the dynamic qualities of the changing light.