"Reverberation" - mixed media on paper, 15" x 22" (unframed dimension). Inquiries: imajenation@gmail.com.

Princes wait there in the world, it's true.
Princes, yes, but wolves and humans, too.
Stay at home.
             From "Stay With Me", Into the Woods

Oh gosh - can I just tell you how I catch my breath when I look at this piece?  It is another big stretch piece from the Stan Kurth workshop, and I couldn't be more delighted.  It's like I've climbed a huge tree here in the woods and am looking way far down to the forest floor below.  I can't believe I did this. :)

But I did.  It was day two of the workshop, when I got good and mad at the underpainting - it wasn't giving me any clear pointers for where to go next.  So I grabbed red, mixed it with gesso, and attacked the paper.  Pure emotion, pure intensity and determination.  I stopped thinking about it.  And therein lies the key.  I had to get out of my own head.

There is a lot of pressure when painting in a workshop.  Twenty or thirty sets of eyes, people walking around and commenting and watching.  It is easy to start wondering what everyone else is thinking about your work and get caught up in an inner dialogue that ties your gut in knots and interrupts the muse like nothing else.  Getting mad is a good way to shut that up!  ha ha!  But don't throw paint at your table partner.

Kurth says: "​You have the power within you to make art any way you want, without the fear of what anyone else might say or think.  Turn off the internal dialogue with all of those critics looking over your shoulder as you paint.  Let your intuition guide you."  wow and YES.

It is tempting to stay safe at home rather than venturing out into the woods (or into a new style of painting).   I am so glad we decided to head out on this journey together, dear reader!  If you are experimenting with something new, I'd love to hear about it. :)