work in progress I haven't put up any studio pics in awhile...there's some reluctance on my part to do this, since things change every day. These were taken yesterday and are already old news, as several of these arrangements have gone though big changes since then. But I still enjoy a few freeze frames once in awhile, and they do illustrate a bit about my process.

I've written about this process before on my blog, so if you're a regular reader, just skip ahead to the next paragraph...but if you're new to my work, here is a brief explanation of how I work with my multiple panel paintings. I like to keep the arrangements of panels open-ended and subject to change for as long as possible, so that I can find the most effective compositions. At any one time I have quite a few panels sitting around in various stages, some seem done (but not necessarily--like anything in my studio, they are subject to revision) and others are barely started, with not much more but a color idea in place. I either hang the various arrangements onto the wall (with small nails or push pins...yes my wall board resembles swiss cheese)or clamp the panels together with c-clamps so that they can be moved out of the way. When I finally have what I want in a composition, I remove the blue tape with which I protect the edges of the panel, mark the position of each panel on the back of the painting, and take the whole thing to Carl Brown, my fabulous woodworker guy, for bolts. I am always a bit humbled to realize how much I depend on him for carrying out this essential final step, which he does with tremendous care and attention to detail.

For the past couple of weeks, I seemed to be slogging through mud, or maybe quicksand, in the studio...but somehow, I've got my traction back and things are going really well. Even my palette has brightened a bit. I have about ten paintings in progress and a few just finished, and I'm really feeling excited about my work. Maybe it is springtime energy? (Um, probably not, as you can see in the view out my studio windows.)

Some of the new ideas I'm working with: interesting grays, paired with saturate oranges and reds...horizontal paintings made up of small panels...more diverse colors within panels...and exploring the effects of metallic and transparent colors in the initial layers of a painting. Not that you can see all of this in these shots, but each is a thread I'm following. I'll have new work to post soon.  ¶ 6:59 PM