An Intuitive Oil Painting

Alice Cook, 2014

Intuitive is "using or based on what one feels to be true even without conscious reasoning; instinctive."  This current picture, finished about a week ago, is what I call a "gut" painting.  Without planning, without reasoning how the painting will develop, I just started painting.  I started in left upper corner with short brushstrokes.  I did lay out the six colors I was going to use, burnt umber, cobalt blue, raw sienna, burnt sienna, Payne's grey and white.  I did not premix the colors, but allowed them to mix on the canvas.  Once the painting was one-third done through intuition, I realized a pattern was developing.  The next part of the painting I consciously followed the pattern and completed the painting.  The painting was done over a few days.  With this "gut" painting, I feel I was truly being true to myself and that made me happy.  Enjoy!