Shell 1

8 x 8, acrylic on carton

I painted this December 24, 2012, when I should have been doing last minute shopping like any sensible person. It is kind of a break-through painting for these reasons:

1. Winter is too cold to paint outside. Solution: make a sketch in your car and finish the painting in the studio.

2. Winter has no colour. Solution: paint a gas station where there is plenty of colour.

3. Acrylics are plasticky and artificial. Solution: apply them in transparent washes for a rich mixture like pastels. (Thanks to Carl Judson, Guerilla Painter, for this tip). I used this technique for the asphalt of the service station.

I intended to submit this to AWOL gallery's 12 x 12 show, usually in August but this is their eleventh year and they have decided to take a well earned break. This show is a lot of fun; aimed mostly at collectors of emerging artists. Solution to this problem? Mark it NFS.