Painting New Orleans Blog

Hi Everyone,

In June I went with my family to Israel for two weeks where I focused on learning about the country and not thinking about painting.  When I returned and cleaned the dried paint from my palette, I couldn't manage to get back my studio rhythm.  One painting in particular befuddled me, a large painting of a giant oak tree beside a nineteenth century home at twilight in Coliseum Square.

Here is one of the source photos that I took.

I had been very ambitious when I started this painting, buying an expensive large canvas, and thinking that I could entwine the enveloping oak tree with the architecture in a seamless way.  I wanted to honor  the imposing quality of the oak tree reaching out across the canvas, but also showcase the elegant architecture illuminated by soft pearly lights.  I struggled so much to tie it all together that I went back to the house a second time to paint it from life and check the perspective.

Here is the house and tree with my easel set-up

 What finally broke the spell was listening to music, remembering to paint with my shoulder instead of my wrist, and dancing little dances whilst painting.  I had to use my whole body to paint, letting the fully loaded brush confidently flutter across the canvas. Sometimes painting is like sledding or skiing, it’s a slog going up the mountain, but going down is pure joy, no friction, no holding back, each stroke informed by the stroke that came before.

Something clicked, and I understood how the tree and the house could work as one, each element feeding off the other’s energy in a swirling vortex, the warm lights from the windows searing the bark with their glow.  Even though this was a difficult painting to pull off, I am grateful for what it taught me about painting and how to listen to my body.

Here is the finished painting, 36" x 60" "Spreading Oak on Coliseum"

I also have larger format prints of this painting available on my website for $95 by clicking this link here-http://adamkhall.com/workszoom/2451217

Thanks For Reading!

Adam K. Hall