Done and on to the next one

Finished the latest Sedona painting. Things have been really busy lately at the gallery and I haven't had much time to paint. It feels good to mess around with oils again.

There was a cropped-off mountain on the right side, you can see it in the older photo from last week. I thought it would make the composition better by removing it. I'm happier with the result.

And on to the next one. I went to Lost Dutchman State Park a couple weeks ago and took some pictures from the hiking trails. Here's another view of the Superstition Mountains. There's something about the geology there that I really like painting.

I toned the canvas with some scrap paint (When I clean my palette after each painting session I mix a muddy mixture from the unused paint and save it for next time. It makes a good neutral color for mixing or simply for toning canvases).

Then I sketched with charcoal, followed by some sketching with thinner and the mud mixture.

Now it's time to begin adding color...

It seems like I forgot to post some music for the past couple of weeks. Here's what I'm listening to right now. A great cover of Bob Dylan's Like A Rolling Stone by The Rolling Stones. Bob Dylan really is a master of lyrics. Check out Hurricane if you haven't heard it before.