Month of April Foolishness

We are packing up to move the studio to Massachusetts as of this writing. The house goes on the market in May and I suspect we will need to be mobile by the end of the month.

Still looking into actual moving options. What we need is a storage option in central Mass., and eventually a place to rent while looking when we get there. We need a plan soon for loading into something here, that can go to there. Pods are an idea, but it is amazing how difficult it is to get a straight answer out of movers to even get an estimate. Such a game...

Been combing the area for shipping containers etc. Anvil cases, pelican cases, etc. Big things.

The last couple months have been very good. I did the Paintings of Ireland show in my studio building, and it was very good. The followup after the show closed has been even better. I am very thankful for all those who purchased paintings, the whole process of meeting people and collectors new and old has been a rich experience, one that the painter is often not a part of. The good people who came in after the show have made this move possible.

That said, I have fielded a lot of questions from collectors and collector-painters about my process and a few things come up over and over. I cannot stress enough the 'commandments of painting' from an earlier post. The tendency to overshoot is ever present, and is a trap. Have a point... have a reason for doing this, have something to say. Then say it simply. When you go outside into the landscape, try not painting. Try seeing. Then writing and sketching. Use a camera to just frame what you are looking at. You cant paint what you see without knowing something about what it is.