Some paintings just appear

 My favourite thing is when I'm having a productive day of painting and a FLASH of an idea slams into me. This happened the other day. 

I had made great progress on a commission project and glanced over and saw a new 12" x 36" canvas over in the corner of my temporary and very cluttered studio. I knew my intention was to do some kind of nature inspired piece on it when this clear image of a mountain range popped up.

We live on what is ostensibly prairie, but the mountains are not far away. On clear days, they offer incredible inspiration and a reminder of the majesty of these rocky peaks. As we've traveled back and forth between High River and Okotoks - dozens of times over the past few months - we've been treated to some heart stopping mountain views.

This painting poured out of me in four simple steps.

First, I sketched out a mountain range in black.  As soon as it dried, I sprayed the canvas with water and applied a series of bright colours. I wiped those off with a paper towel. I think of this step as "staining" the canvas.  

The magic step involves using an edging tool and a series of colours that call to me. This technique happens fast but requires a finesse that I have acquired over dozens and dozens of paintings. The trick is to know when to stop.

Once all the ribbons of colour are dry, I go over the mountain range with black and then start adding all the colour highlights.

There has been a tremendous response to my call for name suggestions. Well over 100 ideas have been shared. I picked a few that jumped out to me. 

The original sold shortly after it was posted. The purchaser, a dear friend, has picked a name that is deeply meaningful to her. The prints of the painting may have a different name, depending on the votes. I'm seeing this painting being offered as both a gallery canvas print, or a HD metal print. Both would look sensational.