One of my 2010 goals is to learn how to paint with oils. I did 3 paintings toward the end of 2009 with oils, just to get a feel for the way the paint behaves compared to watercolor and acrylic, and now I am going to seriously pursue knowing how to paint with oils. I love the buttery-ness of the paint, and the way it goes on the canvas, but I don't like how messy it can be. I will need to learn how to get more on the canvas and less on me!
This is the undercoat for a painting of an agave plant. My good friend, Donna B., sent me a most beautiful photo of this plant, and I have been itching to paint it ever since. I love the perspective that this picture shows - looking straight down into the center of the plant. I also love how the sunlight bounces around from leaf to leaf (are they called leaves, stalks, ???) and how the color changes because of the reflected light and the shadows. I am looking forward to continuing on this painting.
