Alla Prima

I have been focusing on an “alla prima” style of painting. This means that I do the painting all at once. This is not exactly an accurate interpretation of the original Italian meaning, but the idea has been adopted in Western practice all the same. Most of my recent work, using direct painting methods, was done in a single session. I used a book by artist Ricard Schmid to provide examples of this in the recent class I taught in Door County. Schmid’s book covers a range of direct painting styles and techniques. The writing that accompanies the work is helpful in understanding the thoughts behind the studio practice. My palette, of course, is much more saturated that Schmid’s quite transitions and tones. None the less, the book is an excellent find.

Alla Prima is published by Stone Prairie Press, 2008