"Late Afternoon, Mt. Gibbs" ©

The last day of painting in Yosemite I painted this quiet pond, leading your eye to the rosy Mt. Gibbs in the distance. While painting several of the words of wisdom that Charles Waldman gave to the group were dancing in my head. I was trying very hard to implement as much as I could. Here are a few of his recurring comments that would be of value to any artist:

1. Before painting a scene, quiet yourself and tune out the chatter. Decide what the concept is before lifting the brush.

2. Value is more important then Color. Value (light and dark) rules, color happens. Keep the darks quiet!

3. Trust what you put down on the canvas and leave it alone.

Charles suggested many of the books that artists typically read, Hawthorne, Schmid, Payne, Goeschner, Macpherson and Henri. After the workshop I pulled some of these off the shelf and realized it's really great to be able to continue reading about the concepts we learned in the workshop. I would suggest if you would like a boost, dust these off and read them again.

And with this painting, as the light faded against Mt. Gibbs I was sorry to see everyone head home. The time together seemed so short. I am already looking forward to returning next year and maybe I'll be able to paint Mt. Gibbs in the late afternoon once again.