Alla Prima vs. the Neighbours

 Rondevlei Church School
(Updated 26 Sept -This is the completed painting)

Distractions KILL creativity. Seriously! None the less, I am very pleased with my apparent come-back.
                
I was unable to paint for about 2 weeks prior to starting this piece (with the exception of a small watercolour cymbidium for the recent orchid show). There was an unpleasant incident where a certain neighbour broke into my property, leading to a very loud shouting match and pretty consistent insomnia for the last month.
            
Needless to say, my work suffered and I've been a bit distracted.
  
Latest Painting Technique
         
My technique has been heading in a direction that both intimidated and stifled me. Photo-realism is all very well but when I tried adding the Flemish technique to get 3D effects I turned each painting into a monumental task. Not only did I have to find the perfect model, the perfect lighting and the perfect theme, I had to be utterly faithful to what I saw and keep everything utterly unmoving for... I'm getting bored just describing the process!
                  
Yuck!
                
That is why I'm painting alla prima for the next few months. I need to shake off this obsession with glazing and perfect representation of my subject. To that end I just read a fantastic book by watercolourist Alex Powers. Take a look at his work and you'll see the direction I'm heading in.
    
My Painting Style
  
I doubt I'll ever settle into a single, clear style as I really believe that each subject demands it's own treatment. do, however, believe in mastering my tools, and style is just another set of tools that I can use as and when I see the need.