Learning Piece

So in the midst of all the other paintings I'm working on, I thought I would post one that was pretty much complete. for those of you that are curious, this is the first oil painting I've done in about 3 years, and it also has some added elements of mixed media (litho crayon, charcoal, and oil pastel).
I have no actual title for this, but it serves two main functions for me. 1- Having wanted to branch out into more dynamic, multi-figured compositions I thought a good start would be to execute a message I had been all along trying to communicate in a different way. 2- I specifically painted in monochrome so that I could cut out the complexities and possible distractions and complications color might have to offer in a situation where the most important focus is composition.
I titled this post "Learning Piece" because that is truly what this is- an image in which I can forget about "will someone want to buy this" or "will anyone get this" or "is this subtle enough". Through this I was able to remember the most important thing about creating a work of art- when you're alone with the paint and the canvas in the studio treat it as such- just you (or in this case, me) and the canvas.

The forthcoming work is somehing I am truly excited about. This learning piece has served itself as a very helpful launching point for me to be more daring, experivmental, and less rigid and anxious about how I execute my work. The next update (both to my blog, and my website) will undoubtedly include a small group of new paintings.

Until next time.