A collection of stories, thoughts and good vibes from my back porch

Recently, I have gotten comments on my paintings like, " I feel like I am there," I can feel the sand in my feet," and " I feel like I am looking out a window to the sea in my room." Art evokes emotion, and when I paint, I am giving my impression of what I have seen, what I know, and what I feel as I lay down a color. Every stroke of the brush, every color I mix, and every thought I have is conveyed into a painting, and the end result is truly something I have experienced, witnessed, and felt. 

Strangers have bought paintings of mine sometimes because they have been to the places I paint, especially Big Bend, which is the most spiritual place I know. Currently, I have no Big Bend paintings in my studio because I have sold every one I have done. Emotion. Feeling. I've been there. I've seen that. I've experienced that... That is what I hope my painting will do. And it does. 

When I paint, I want to convey a feeling, not just a scene. I hope to evoke an emotion or a memory. I have looked at paintings others have done, and been moved to tears. I dig it. And I'm jazzed when others are moved by something I have painted. Painting is real, and evoking emotion makes it even more real. What I hope to do with every painting is to move someone, and bring up a feeling, not just paint a pretty picture. A painting reflects the soul of an artist that created it. 

I paint places I have been. When I look at the landscape, I always see lots of possibilities, and my objective is to capture an image, an impression, or thought. I want to paint what I see, the way I see it. And when someone can be there with me, by looking at what I rendered maybe they can get my perspective, and feel what I felt, or see what I saw - or the way I saw it. Nature is grand, and I hope to grab a snippet of it and place it on a canvas for someone else to enjoy. It's not about making pretty pictures, it's more about making an impression of the beauty I know is there - the colors, the shades, and the shadows and the lights.

I want people to touch my painting, and get the texture of the landscape, the movement of my brushes, and feel what I felt. These are not things I consciously think of while I am painting, but it's something I do when I see a painting I like. I've done it to my own paintings. They are part of me, part of my consciousness, and part of my being on a canvas. It's OK to touch. Just make sure it's dry first. 

So, what do you think when you see a painting? If you would be so kind, those of you who compliment my paintings, would you tell me also, what do you like about it? What don't you like? What could I have done different? Would you share that with me? I would love to know.