As is often the case, when helping students, someone else understand painting, you learn so much yourself. One of my students was having a miserable time with these constantly moving Norwejian Fjords (they must have been self-conscious of all the strange, oily-smelling predators lined up at the fence line). I encouraged the student to relax, to paint literally 'everything' from the greyish hill behind, stubby trees, fence, two Fresians looking over the fence (yes....that's what they are... Rubbish isn't it?) I remember saying "Yes, even the red and yellow plastic water bucket!" And I did. And I loved it... And I realized, from that moment on, something "clicked".
I would never sell this little 5 min. painting. In fact, I've glued it into my art sketchbook (so there). All the funky, bright, contemporary-looking paintings that are showing up now have been because of this "shift" and the little painting journal I showed you before. The following painting was the first on stretched canvas. I think I did it the week I came back from Kentucky...