More than one way to paint?

There is more than one technique to use when it comes to painting. Before I continue, don't confuse technique with style. Style falls under abstract, realism, surrealism, impressionism, etc. This is an entirely different issue and one that I will cover for another time. Today's blog is about the technique which is the way you apply the paint for whatever style you have already chosen to convey. The exact same image could be painted using different techniques and the result could be drastically different. This is both the beaty of painting but also the frustration for the new painter.

When I first wanted to step out into the world from drawing to painting, I read lots of different techniques and was overwhelmed with all the choices there was. Which one would I like? Plein air, wet on wet, impasto, scumbling, drybrush, underpainting, paintbrushes versus knife painting? The list here goes on and on. I had no idea what HALF these techniques were let alone how to use them!
I decided to start out trying several different techniques until I tried them all! (This was my original plan) After just a few different techniques I already had my favorites and than I stuck to those. (I fell in love with wet on wet and impasto). Impasto though is very time consuming. Therefore, I haven't used it in awhile. Although it is worth it, I love the results in the end.

In the future, I plan on experimenting more with techniques again, right now though I'm experimenting more with the subject that is stuck in my mind and the symbols that represent them! All of my paintings have a balance of good versus evil at some level. However, I have yet to explain that to my viewers because I want people to make their own decisions and be objective with my work. I love it when people have explained, "Oh I see this in your work." Than, I look and see what they are referring to and something new pops out at me and I love that! That I can see my work from their perspective. I try to use lots of dark colors versus lighter colors to represent good versus evil. No matter how dark the painting is, there is always a little ray of sunshine coming through somewhere!

Close up

Finally it is finished!

With this painting: titled dream world, is a world above her (planets, moon, stars). Is she dreaming or is this reality? I think all of us have woken from a dream that we swore was more than just a dream...(such as the movie: Inception)