When I paint I block in the shapes and composition and then start laying in the background values. I block in basic color temperature values throughout the painting and then start working on refining shapes and color. I am often neglectful of the foreground and by the time I get back to it the color value I originally laid in is no longer correct or doesn’t match with the other colors and values in the rest of the painting — one of the dangers of painting en plein air, where everything around you in constantly changing.

I often get frustrated and afraid that if I make the big changes that are needed that I will mess up the whole painting. I often end up putting in superficial detail that doesn’t make sense with the rest of the painting — marks that look fussy or contrived to cover up the fact that I am too scared to do what I need to do and make the big changes in the painting.

In an attempt to get beyond this problem I have been looking at Van Gogh to see how he resolves the foreground in his paintings. I tried to use some of his unusual color choices and brush marks. The blue brush strokes I stole from Van Gogh. I also found that changing the direction of my brush marks helped.