Some pieces done as copies, some from photos.

I thought the colors in this piece were a bit riotous,circus-y,candy-like….so I repainted it using the Zorn palette. It is a limited palette of 4 colors devised by Swedish painter Anders Zorn. The colors are: White, Yellow Ocher, Vermillion ( or Cadmium Red ) and Ivory Black. The black contains some blue , so when it is mixed with the ocher, it makes a dull green and when mixed with the red, a dull purple.

The palette is limited but with the addition of white, many colors can be created.
The colors in  the second version harmonize with each other in a way the colors in the first version do not.

First version

Second version

‘’The entire painting process comes down to a series of corrections.
The goal is to end with a beautiful painting not to get it right with the first stroke of the brush.

One would do well to approach the process from the onset as one big glorious mistake that, through adventurous problem solving, you are setting out to make right.

Mistakes and problems ARE the process . 
You simply get quicker at correcting and solving them. 
Work freely and do not worry about making mistakes. 
You can always correct mistakes later.
As you paint, remember there is always an awkward stage in every painting. 
You might begin with a flawless drawing that quickly becomes lost under layers of paint.

Or, individual objects within your composition might look correct themselves but they don't seem to 'fit' with each other.

And in the end, if all is lost, accept failure graciously and simply start over. 
You will find that your second attempt is more concise, direct and accurate.

Painting is a journey in which you never reach the end. 
The more you paint the more you will find this to be one of the most beautiful and compelling aspects of the craft.

There will always be something both challenging you and drawing you forward.’’

John Rizzotto

Yesterday was my last alla prima class at Gage Academy....use of the palette knife to model form. The finished product is nothing special.... but new techniques have helped make my style a bit more spontaneous and less studied looking.... not that there is anything wrong with that. Alla prima is just another approach .