Daily Painting

  Desert Charmer, 24x30, Oil

I live close to the Saguaro National Monument in Tucson, AZ.  The monument has been a source of painting inspiration for me throughout my painting career.  There are some years depending on the winter rains when the desert is carpeted with these yellow flowered Brittlebush.  I have completed numerous plein air paintings there and sometimes bring it all together in a larger studio piece. 

It is not my intent to create a more photographic studio painting from my studies, but to express an emotional statement about the scene.  I am interested in modern forms of painting and in some ways the paint itself becomes the subject.  I paint these with a palette knife which allows the most expressive form of painting with clear and clean color. The knife works best painting in large expressive strokes.