Thursday, February 16, 2012

February 16, 2012

Rain and cold weather prevented me from painting en plein air today so I attempted painting alla prima, Italian for "first attempt" or wet-on-wet.  This painting technique requires the artist to paint layers of wet paint over layers of wet paint and it dates back to the Impressionists period.  Monet and Van Gogh were known for their "on the spot" painting, usually finishing a painting in one sitting.  "I Love You" is a painting I started this morning, painting very quickly, in the warmth of my home studio.  The subject (very popular at this time of the year) was painted from the dozen red roses my husband gave me for Valentine's Day.