For the last year, I have been very good at limiting myself with surfaces that will be manageable when the time comes again to change home and country. I gave myself a maximum limit of 30 cradled wooden panels (my favorite painting surface) under 50 x 70 cm, along with various sizes of linen (which I dislike now for the tooth) and paper. Still, I felt stifled by the smaller sizes I have been working with and I really needed a solution. On heavy duty painting paper, I have found that with several coats of gesso, the paint slips around for me like it does on panel. And with sizes reaching 100 x 140 cm, I am thrilled to work on sizes that take in a greater perspective. Though I used to work large on linen, I have found that the texture “irritates” me, gets in the way and forces me to paint in a way that seems less natural to the way I paint. I love when paint slips around and feels like it has a liquid mind of its own, and panel – and now the gessoed paper – provides this kind of surface. The images here show 2 different pieces I have started. I intend to work them quite a bit more to see how they can evolve, allowing myself the artistic luxury of reconsidering marks, colors and composition. Like sinking your teeth into something tasty after a prolonged artistic surface diet.
REBECCA HARP 
Googling on isaac levitan, I came on your site
what a treat that was!!
Gorgeous work with such a lovely warm haze in it, you really
can feel the Eastern heat!
Thanks for the wonderful stroll on your site!
René
Rene, thank you for coming by, I so appreciate your compliments. I did not know that I have been able to include the temperature in my paintings, but I guess it happened from simply living it. Levitan is one of my most favorite of artists, an inspiration on the importance of contemplating deeply and painting earnestly.
It was a long time since your last post, I am waiting for them, you make me laugh; you have a bedroom as messy as my daughter’s, I believid it was impossible!
Thanks Sylviane! I have finally outgrown my adult phase of keeping things looking nice and have decided to become a child again. Except of course if I have people over. Then I use the trick of calling the bedroom off limits to grown-ups.
I would post more, and more often, but a lot of them become too messy or too clean, and I put them to the side. I used to just throw them all away, but now I don’t so often. I have no intention on trying to paint all of the junk art in my studio, but then again, we shall see. It’s a lot about keeping the level of chaos just right.