The Big Hedge

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The Big Hedge. Oil on linen over panel, 8 by 10 inches.

About 500 feet from my studio. I was going to walk a bit farther than usual to do a painting, but because of this big hedge, and the little house hiding behind it, I was captivated. It seemed to tease. Like a peek-a-boo game. I thought it was cute. So here you go, The Big Hedge.

I enjoy painting alla prima because I capture the spirit of the moment. Of course I can paint it again, but it would not be the same because every moment is different from the other. This is one of the great pleasures of painting from life. I can continue the painting in the studio and still be able to express from memory the spirit of the moment, but if I try to clean up and over analyse my work, no matter how well composed, becomes just another painting missing what I like to call its umami, a borrowed word from Japanese culinary speak. 

“If you clean it up, get analytical, all the subtle joy and emotion you felt in the first place goes flying out the window.”—Andrew Newell Wyeth (July 12, 1917 – January 16, 2009)

The Big Hedge. Kennett Square. Oil on linen over panel, 8 by 10 inches.