"Painting is so damn hard, that if it weren't for the occasional win, it would kill us."

Summer Dreams...Sold


Snow On Jenkins Creek....Sold


Scaling Eggs...Sold



Approaching Storm II....Sold

Well, as usual I am constantly playing catchup! Again I find myself with less and less time for writing...but spend a lot of time thinking about it. My thought process generally run along art...I visualize constantly...painting a picture in my head, considering the effects of light....color and edges...which brings me to MY big problem for this year.
Every year I paint, I consider certain key aspects of painting...in the beginning it was drawing, composition, color, handling paint, subject matter, mass, photo or life..each subject taking a self-imposed year of consideration....then how to paint from a photo and make it look like it was from life. Then I started painting a whole lot more from life....that took care of the photo issue....pretty much. I still use photos...but I don't like to.
Then came marketing...that took up a whole lot of time! The time I spent marketing has definitely helped....In the last two months I have painted three paintings...all sold and the few remaining from last year have sold also! I still feel weak in so many areas. That really is okay....since this is a constant learning process....and I will be learning for years to come..hopefully!
This year...it's edges...more and more I find my edges unsatisfactory...sometimes I like them...most of the time I am weak in that area. So this year I am going to concentrate more on edges...any advice from people out there is more than welcome. I find lifting the brush at the end of a stroke works well....painting wet into wet and also using a paper towel to scumble the edges...also a value change at the edges also works in many cases. At any rate...I still work at getting better....constantly!
Things have also been selling well....thanks to the marketing time I guess....I actually have a collector that has a "Theresa Rankin Room"...now that is an honor!! Here are some pieces that sold recently and the step by step I promised a month ago which got waylayed while I was sick and finishing a commission!
One can never know how grateful I am to have people actually buy my work!! I will continue to work hard...through the daily "stuff"...the hard times.....the emotional ups and downs..and the dreaded blocks! In the case of blocks I highly recommend Terry Miura's post and all the replies...well worth reading....we are not alone!!!!


The Start......Approaching Storm III



Some more work


Ugh....readjusting the composition (took out the foreground shrubs)


Adjusting yet again....Took out a hay bale....What do you think?....input please!

I will be heading to Los Angeles in the next week....so I may not post until I get back!!
Thank you, everyone who has joined up and who has commented....it really tickles me..I learn much from the other bloggers...every single one of you!!
Whole Lot of Shakin' Goin' On,
Theresa