 Alberta I+II / 48x72 / acrylic on canvas This diptych has been a bit slow in coming as I've been trying to record the process of a painting from the beginning to the end. It's interesting to see how I work, as I typically have a different image in my mind of my practice and also interesting to see how much of what I learned in art school still applies to my methods. It kind of feels like watching a sports replay in order to learn from your mistakes. One of the main lessons I remember from school is to work around the entire piece all at once rather than focusing on one particular area, which I have come to realize that I actually do without thinking. Another is to step back from the work regularly in order to see the entire piece as a whole, particularly from one this large. And thankfully I still do that, too. In fact, I often take the work-in-progress to another room for a different perspective and to view it under different lighting. I also like to look at pieces I'm working on for an extended period of time prior to having a nap and then waking to it. There is something that often clicks in my mind when I give myself time to do this. In this case, even though I used quite a bit of purple (which is often considered a cool colour), when combined with all the orange, yellow, pink and red it made the painting feel too warm, so I added blue in my final layers. I especially love the combination of the Rocky Mountains by Lake Louse, buffalo that used to roam in abundance in the area, ravens that I like to talk to, and wild tiger lilies that grow in profusion in the mountains. I remember one Mother's Day a father and very young son were gathering them along the road side...a wonderful gesture even though it is not permitted in the national parks, but a good memory none-the-less.
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