I love to paint. Not a big secret for those who know me well. I have been painting for the better part of my life and remember the first time I stepped into an art studio and loved the aroma of oil and turps. To some that is not appetizing but to me it is ambrosia. The hues interrupt my sleep and enter my dreams. It is interesting to me that it is not image making that comes first for me. I could spend hours and often do mixing color and studying the nuances of combinations. I have charts over the years that I discover again and new charts that lead to another discovery. Lucky I’ve had the chance to read and study both the scientific properties of pigments and to study as well the history of the palettes of artists. Each time I make a discovery, it is as exciting as the first time I mixed my first paint. I must give credit to Joseph Perrin. Whose knowledge of paint was phenomenal and who so generously shared that knowledge with me at a critical time in my career. I certainly still remember his mixing assignments. Not easy, believe me.

So right now I am enraptured with my task at hand, to create 18-36 x 36 oil paintings for a commission. My experience painting with encaustic for the past ten years has taught me so much about pigment making the task easier than I thought it would be. When I finish with these paintings I will give myself the luxury of making one more oil painting for me before cranking up the hot palette. It should be an interesting transition.