Happy New Year to you as well! Thanks for the nice comments – I’m glad that you like the new look of the site. I’ve been doing a lot of reading before I progress with the painting of Rachel in the mirror. I want to make sure I’m going about it correctly before I ruin it!

I’m really glad to hear that you’re pursuing landscape painting – and from a teacher. That’s the best way! By the way, I saw your Fragonard copy on WC and I strongly disagree with the notion that you’re not improving. It was very impressive! Also, I’ve heard lots of good things about the Schmid book. I’ll probably pick it up someday. Although I don’t use the direct painting method a lot, I still think it’s a very important method to learn. Each method has it’s own uses and I think a well-rounded artist should know and practice them all. All the best to you in your landscape lessons – I want to see some of the results!

- Dan

Let me take this (late) opportunity to wish you a Happy New Year, to Rachel and yourself.

Big surprise today to see the new face of your website. I like it a lot, and among the drawings you added to the gallery I really like your self-portrait! Did you progress any further with the “Rachel in the Mirror” painting?

Your writing about artistic growth makes me a bit jealous (or sad), I in a way feel some growth as well but don’t have much to show for it except a lot of talking and reading. For this February, I have an invitation to come visit a landscape painter I know (I used to send him painting DVDs from the US), and he will give me some introduction to landscape painting (yes!) I am also reading Richard Schmid’s book Alla Prima (pretty hard to get a copy here in Europe) – although he is writing strictely about direct painting rather than the classical indirect methods, his book is full of great advice, and I much admire his landscape paintings.

Susanne