My Last Critique from Kevin Macpherson

"You have been holding back this year, saving all your best work for the end. The colors are very beautiful and I just love those shadows on the rocks." (from my last critique by Kevin!)

Today marks my last critique from the ProDJ Program with Kevin Macpherson.  The comment he made that I pasted above made my day.  And no, I was not holding back all year AT ALL.  But, I have grown and become a better painter because of his critiques and assignments, which, I guess, is what he actually is commenting on.

At times, this was a very difficult program for me to keep up with.  Probably the most difficult, personally, was getting ALL of the work done and on time.  This was one of the main reasons for starting the program in the first place, to get me to paint on a more "regular" basis, which it did.  The other more obvious reason, was to become what I believe to be a better painter.  I do believe this also occurred.  Not only because of what Kevin told me, but because I like my paintings more:~)  Not ALL of them, but more than before.

So, now that I'm not tied to the monthly assignments, I'm hopeing to continue to be as prolific a painter.  But, I also want to paint on a larger scale again, which means more time spent on each one.  And in contrast to this, I want to work more on even smaller, "daily" paintings and concentrating on different pallettes and uses of color and light!  So, I've got alot of directions to go in -- which, in the end, doesn't really matter -- as long as I continue to paint and become the painter I long to be.

"Traveling the Blue Ridge Parkway"

"Traveling the Blue Ridge Parkway"
8" x 10"
Oil on Canvas

This is something every Virginian does -- usually over and over again!  A beautiful, peaceful place -- both on foot or in a vehicle.

"Woodland Waterway" Oil Painting on Canvas

"Woodland Waterway"
18" x 24" Oil on Canvas

This painting was done of the waterway that led up to the "Cascades" Waterfall in Southwestern, Virginia that I have painted before.  The trip up is a gorgeous as the waterfall at the top!

"Purple Roses" 8" x 10" Oil Painting

"Purple Roses"
8" x 10" Oil on Linen Panel

This is a small study I did of some roses with an unusual color that my husband came home with.  I worked with a pallette of three colors of Dioxazine Purple, Cad Orange, and Phthalo Green