Good Listeners

(The image continues around the sides of the board. This is a digital photo, the scans above are more accurate.)

Good Listeners is a fun little painting. A reminder that sometimes nature offers the best therapy. Like most folks of my generation, I have seen a few counselors over the years and one was very helpful, but the others wasted my time and money. A quiet walk in the woods once a week would probably have yielded more insight. This piece has gorgeous deep hues, surprising bits of unexpected color, and interesting organic textures. It also continues my interest in the subtle inclusion of language in art with a single sentence painted in very small letters in the lower right corner. The words read, "Trees are good listeners." This sunny little gem is sure to bring a few thoughtful smiles to the home or office of any nature lover.

Good Listeners was created in layers. First, I primed the wood panel with black acrylic gesso. Then I used palette knives and my fingers to push and pull acrylic modeling paste into beautiful, naturally irregular ridges that became a three-dimensional drawing. Once the ridges had dried, I created a bold underpainting. The trees and ground were vibrant pink and red and orange, and the sky was deep purple. Finally, I finished the piece with a loose top layer that allows bits if the underpainting to peak through. The sky is a scrumptious soft blue/lavender and the trees and ground are made up of rich, fertile greens and golden yellows. The 3-D qualities make this piece particularly striking.