Practice Painting Loose Landscapes.

I am gearing up for another great Trade Show - this one in Santa Fe, New Mexico - the Artisan Expo, September 29-October 2. So I thought I would give you a preview in this week's BobBlast. At the Expo - my mini-workshops feature a single subject - like LOOSE & JUICY LANDSCAPES - so you can try new techniques, new products and perhaps a new way of thinking about painting.

So for this week's online lesson, I am talking about " automatism" - a phrase coined by Robert Motherwell. It is about getting into the habit of repeating a task over and over - your whole body and brain in action automatically. Here's an example: Do you remember the last time you tied your shoes? It was hard the first time we learned to do it - but now it is automatic... same as getting dressed - like muscle memory.

Now, think that way in your studio. When you practice repeatedly, your confidence expands and so does your art! You move from left brain to right brain easier.

This BobBlast illustrates the three steps I take to practice painting a row of ethereal trees. The title of this series is "Treeline."

Step One - I always start my "drip trees" as wet drips loaded with color. 

Step Two - I work with many layers of drips, elongating them into tree trunks, letting the paint dry in between the layers. I will also shape the tree tops and make sky holes so the birds can fly through!

Step Three - The final stage is where I go in with an opaque color and do a little negative-shape painting to get rid of the trunks that are not needed. Reductive painting is the "official" name for this technique. 

In the video - you can watch me mix the colors I have selected and actually start with the drips - all the way to the final reductive painting.

Thank you for your interest, questions, comments and support!

The above lessons and much, much more are featured in the mini classes I am giving in my Workshops, Trade Shows & Expos  all over the country! There are two more Trade Shows in 2016. 

Artisan-Santa Fe Expo , September 29-October 2, 2016

Santa Fe, New Mexico