I’ve never considered myself a landscape painter. It may have to do with my first landscape, a large 30" x 40" canvas I worked on for seemingly months (it must have been weeks, it could not have been that long) that was a spectacular failure. And honestly, I have never been that interested in it. When I would attempt to paint a view, my thoughts would drift, “What exactly am I painting here? Everything?” The fact that I could see the entire vista as a whole, and also small twigs and leaves was overwhelming. “The Hermit’s Woods” by Corot struck me with its masses created by scribbled lines. Untidy squiggles are something I can pleasantly and comfortably create. So I began enthusiastically copying, stepping into the master’s landscape by means of the graphite media, my old friend. While my version doesn’t compare to his, I did learn to speak a bit of his visual language which I was able to use in my own works that followed. 

To see “Timeless Mums, Fleeting Daisies” influenced by “The Hermit’s Woods” click here.