Hello!
I hope you're well and ready for a beautiful September.
I'm a little late in writing to you, but I wanted to finish a painting before I wrote. I'm so excited about this painting! But first let me give you some background.
I love Agatha Christie mysteries. Especially Hercule Poirot stories. He's a funny and fastidious little detective. He prides himself on using "his little gray cells" to solve mysteries and he always uses "order and method" in doing so.
Are you surprised, when I tell you I'm not really an order and method kind of person? Probably not, since you know some of my "how I got here" story, which was certainly not very orderly.
So, what does Hercule Poirot and his ways have to do with a painting? Let me tell you. You see, I've never been able to come up with a satisfying way to paint a large landscape. It's usually a struggle . . .
In July we met Dave, an Airbnb guest. Dave loves art and came up to see my studio and we talked for awhile about the beauty of Wyoming and Montana.
A few weeks later, I heard from Dave. He wanted to commission me to paint an 18x24 landscape, depicting an idea he had. He told me he liked high country, aspens, paths, storms, and breaking light.
Those features formed themselves into an image in my mind that I couldn't shake. So, I painted a small 6"x8" study in gouache, and sent it to Dave. He loved it and the commission for the larger painting was a go. All good so far.
But I was a little nervous as to how to make that nice little study into an 18x24 painting.
