“Harvest Light” Mixed Media on Yupo 20×26″ ©Ruth Armitage SOLD
Here is a new painting I finished on Tuesday, just in time for a deadline. It is funny, I’ve known about the deadline for a whole year, but still waited until the very last minute to decide to pursue it, and to finish the work. It took some determination to power through it, since the weather has been so beautiful, calling me outside. And I’ve been immersed in a few good books lately, also a powerful distraction. My most recent read was The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey. Maybe that influenced me to use a cooler palette!
While painting this work, I had other paintings in process simultaneously. That is not my usual way of working, and I found it pretty distracting. I think I will return to one painting at a time, post haste. I’ve also been preparing for my Roseburg workshop, and doing some board work research for the Watercolor Society of Oregon. It is odd, sometimes the busiest times are the most productive!
Perhaps you can see some influence from my recent workshop with Mary Ann Beckwith? I’ve tried to vary some of the techniques she uses, and make the painting read as mine. What do you think?
If you’d like to see a recent plein air oil painting, hop on over to my facebook page. Be sure to ‘like’ my page while you’re there!
Finally, don’t forget to send your submission for my online art exhibit! I’ve only received one so far, and if I don’t get a few more, it may become a feature article on that one person 🙂
Love this, Ruth–I see a bit of Beckwith’s influence, but it’s pure YOU. Interesting that you work on one painting at a time—I work on so many paintings simultaneously that perhaps I need to try your approach—finishing is the hardest part of painting. I’m glad a deadline spurs you on–for me, I have to finish WELL before a deadline and then evaluate the piece to make sure I’m really done (because often, I have another hour or so of “finishing” before something is really ready for prime time, so to speak.