One of the major difficulties in being an artist is the problem of being "typecast". Successful contemporary artists, and the artists that are famous in art history, have a particular style (e.g. Monet), or always paint a particular theme (e.g. Morandi). This is problematic for artists who want to flit around and do a little of this, and a little of that; or paint this way one day, and that way the next. You feel like you are not free to change, and just paint what you want. You have to paint what your public wants, or what they expect you to paint. Believe it or not, this is a problem for even us ultra-small time artists.
I have really been enjoying getting back into landscape painting. It is a quite a challenge for someone who has for so long painted in a rigid, geometric style. I've been doing a bunch a small studies in oil on canvas board to get back into practice. I've also been experimenting with landscape in egg tempera and doing some work that I think is good. Once again edge tempera proves itself to be a versatile and beautiful medium... no wonder Wyeth used it so much! The goal is to do a number of small egg tempera landscapes, and some in watercolor as I did about 12 years ago, and then to do some larger landscape paintings in oil on canvas. For some reason when I paint in oil I need to work larger. I am still working on my older stuff. Just recently I completed a very small icon commission of the Virgin and Child (picture below - sorry for the glare in the photo), and I am currently working on a largish icon of the Descent of Christ from the Cross. The Sunday school kids are fas...
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