No. 18

16x20 canvas with a thin coat of linseed oil as a base. This might be my best painting yet. I learned a few things during this session:

1. I didn't really have to use crisscross strokes for the sky. I mashed the brush into the canvas, slid it back and forth, made circles, everything. In the end, I discovered as long as I finished with the crisscross motions to blend then lightly went over the whole surface, I could make a good sky.

2. I realized I get carried away with too many peaks on my mountains. Fewer peaks seem better.

3. I like mountains with no snow. I was a little nervous, but I ended up using raw umber and white for one side, and burnt sienna for the other. Then, I mixed in a few patches of black for deep crevices. Turned out well. Now I think I'll experiment with other colors.

4. Finally got the color right for my background trees (Prussian blue, alizarin crimson, and raw umber in equal parts then mixed in a little phthalo green). Usually I come up with some crazy color that doesn't go with the painting. Not this time.

5. Love that round brush. Used it for the trees and bushes. Those things just jump out of the brush now. Must get me another one of those.

There are three layers of distant trees on the left (behind that tall tree) that I covered up for some reason. I think I just wanted to make another big tree. But I learned how to make a few tree layers with the fan brush while adding a touch of white to make a misty area in between. It wasn't wasted time.

Hope you enjoy this one. Oh, and 16x20 is my new canvas size. I think going back to a 12x16 is going to feel like painting in a bottle. So much more room on the larger canvas.

Regards.