"Autumn Stream" Julie Kirkland



"Autumn Stream" 8 x 8 inch oil on panel

 All artists love autumn.  The colors, textures, and golden light are a feast for the eyes and senses.  I have so many fabulous fall reference photos that I'm excited to paint, and this scene is one of the handful that I've chosen to paint recently.  Initially, I painted it with a brush, as I normally do.  I ended up with an overworked, dull result that I scraped off of the canvas.  The ghost image left on the canvas confirmed that it was a good composition and that I had been on track with the right colors, I had just scrubbed the paint to death by stroking it over and over.  I've discovered that whenever I'm not using enough paint and pushing the paint around too much with my brush, using a palette knife is like hitting a reset button in my brain.  The palette knife forces me to use more paint and to lay it down in one stroke without scrubbing it into the canvas.  I'm very happy with the results of this painting!  The palette knife strokes lend a sparkling quality to the water and the fall colors are fresh and bright.