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Water, along with being a great therapist because of its magic ability to clear the head, is also an incredible source inspiration. The lagoons by Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, is a wealth of inspiration when it comes to painting because of the wildlife, the landscaping, and the reflections. I tend to use watercolors when I am sketching there, then I back to the studio where I paint the larger works in oil or mixed media. I am trying to work in a pallet limited to 6 colors and white. I am always drawn to the a few basic things to make my paintings feel alive and to have movement. After deciding what I want to express, the painting begins. The most important step in the process is the first step, the underpainting, laying out the darks and lights in one color only, the values, all very quickly and rough with a big brush. I step back and if this looks dramatic and interesting enough I am free to go forward, if not I adjust. I paint the entire canvas all the time. The lightest lights are painted first . As the painting progresses it is most important that I stay true to what moved me to create this piece. Everything can not hold equal value or the painting would be lifeless, to make something bright there must be something dull or dark, to make something soft there must be a hard edge….. More thoughts to come….