"DEEP ROOTS" New Oil Painting by Mike Callahan

"Deep Roots"

Oil on Arches Paper

18"x 24"

There was a time a few years ago when I was a "Daily Painter". That is, I painted one small painting every day. Such an endeavor is a great discipline and I recommend any serious painter try it for 30 days at least. It gives you much more confidence and directness in your painting and it forces you to become very efficient in your execution. This translates to larger work after the discipline has been established and you will be amazed at how quickly and efficiently you are able to produce paintings.

However, once you have attained that, it is an equally beneficial discipline to slow yourself down and create a "slow painting" once in a while. That is to say, take your time, make sure your composition works, observe your subject, look for subtleties, tackle a difficult lighting situation and focus on light values, ponder each stroke, scumble, glaze and enjoy the process. You will probably be very pleased with the result!

The two final paintings in my Pacific coast series

"The Coast is Clear"

Oil on Paper

18" x 24"

This my fifth Pacific coast painting...and here is the sixth:

"Crash"

Oil on Paper

18" x 24"

These paintings will be exhibited soon and I'll let you know the details in a future blog post...

(click their titles to view these at a larger size) 

"THE MEETING PLACE" New, Original Oil Painting by Mike Callahan

"The Meeting Place"

Oil on Paper

22" x 30"

This my fourth Pacific coast in a series of six I have planned and I've called it "The Meeting Place" not because I or anyone I know have met anyone there but because to me it seems so representative of the concept of the Land meeting the Sea... 

"RHYTHM OF THE SEA" New Original Oil Painting by Mike Callahan

"Rhythm of the Sea"

Oil on Paper

18" x 24"

I'm really loving the surface properties of the Arches Oil Paper and I've painted another Pacific coast piece.  I've titled it so because as I was painting it, I realized that I was applying my strokes rhythmically and the result was a feel of movement in the water (or so it seems to me anyway)...