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Sometimes a painting just begs to be re-worked -- not that it was necessarily a bad painting, but that, over time, an artist comes to realize that they could improve on it. I painted this scene about 2-3 years ago. During that time, it has enjoyed a variety of exhibits and galleries, but hadn't found a permanent home. So, I decided that after 2-3 years of growth as an artist, and a particularly focused 2015 of working with an art coach/mentor, it was time to revisit this piece. I am very grateful for the prodding, cajoling, and criticism of my coach. She brought new eyes to my work, and has helped me tremendously.

It's a larger painting at 18" x 36." The first thing I had to do was to sand it a bit to smooth down the nubs from the previous paint, and create a "tooth" that the new paint would bind to. I carefully cleaned the surface with a dry rag, then lightly rubbed it entirely with poppyseed oil. This layer of oil also helps the new paint to adhere to the older paint. Some artists use other types of oils or mediums. I have used walnut oil in the past, but it dries slower. Mind you, getting to the point at which I felt I could comfortably take on the re-working of an older painting was not easy. But I think that was also a signal that I was ready to take a step to the next level.

I began by painting the sky, and the trees that are farthest from the viewer. In this past year, I have finally accepted that, even though my brain says those trees are green, they must be painted "gray" in order to recede. Granted, I stayed with a "grayish-green" but it's still much grayer than it was. I slowly moved forward into the painting, using a palette knife, or painting knife, to create the texture in the rocks and water. The paint is quite thick in these places, but I kept it simpler than it had been in the original work.

I completely re-worked the trees in the foreground. Despite the fact that they were very green, I pulled in some other colors for visual appeal. There is very little that hasn't been painted over in the previous work. Even in those areas that were lightly re-worked, I used glazing and scumbling techniques to make the new painting uniform. My goal in this exercise was to make a better painting from the one that I already thought was a good painting.

If I do say so myself, I like this painting much more. Standing in front of it makes me want to sing, "From the land of sky-blue waters." This scene is not too far from where I live. I'm fortunate to enjoy an area that can truly be called "God's Country."

It's such a busy time of year for many people. Some take on extra hours at work to help with the holiday rush. Some are traveling, or entertaining travelers. Some, like me, are quietly working behind the scenes to meet deadlines for paintings needed as Christmas gifts. I can't tell you how much I would love to share some of the other paintings I've been working on, but because they are gifts, I cannot. Hopefully, after the holidays, I'll be able to show some of what I've been working on. In the meantime, please visit my website at www.kathleeneatonart.com to see more of my work.