Foliage Tests

"Foliage study," casein, 6" x 11.5"

Today, I wanted to experiment with using a palette knife to create foliage. I used the same casein colors I've used in the previous two paintings but, in this case, I neglected color theory in favor of an exploration of plant shapes. It proved an interesting experiment. The palette knife concept worked but at the same time took me way out of the abstract and right back into a tight representational art style.

For me, the results are mixed. The marks are convincing, but the color cohesion is poor. This tells me that I'm not yet ready to go back to painting in a representational art style. Not yet, anyway. Instead, I'll return to my lessons in abstracting nature. This seems the better choice for the moment.