New Work: Saccades XIII Oil on canvas, 48 x 48 inches

Saccades XIII Oil on canvas, 48 x 48 inches
Dominique Boisjoli Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM  $8950 framed

I love these somewhat abstract Saccades works with their endless variations. For this piece, I wanted the yellow to be predominant but not accompanied by the usual birch or aspen tree markings. The idea was to create a forest with depth that allows this yellow glow surround.

There isn't any sky visible and that adds to the effect of a totally yellow view into this forest. The forest ground also is aglow with a number of colors that add to the overall effect but with color that is more modern, not green grass and ground. 

Overall, the effect is luminous and interesting everywhere, creating an effect where the eye never completely rests on a focal point.

About the Saccades Series shown here:
"Since the late 19th century, researchers have been aware of the phenomenon of saccades, the rapid movement of the eye as we shift our attention from one thing to another. As a result, vision itself is discontinuous. We construct a “map of reality” from saccades much as a film editor puts together a scene from individual camera takes."  From an article by the film maker Errol Morris, NY Times

New Work: Meadow View, High Contrast oil on canvas, 36 x 60 inches

Meadow View, High Contrast  oil on canvas, 36 x 60 inches

When I step outside my studio and look to the foothills, I see this view. On one of those occasions I caught this orange sky at sunset and it prompted me to start this oil. Since the sky is a bit surreal, it compelled me to push the colors of the trees rather than using the drab greens in real life.

Once I started the canvas, things were going along nicely but after giving it a pause for a few days, the painting was lacking more punch. Obligingly, I added more colors to the line of trees and more changes to the back hills and foreground.

Two days later, I had just finished up a private lesson and in the corner of the studio, this meadow view was calling out for more work - a bigger move. There were a number of colors still on the palette from the class and a pale cobalt blue stood out. I loaded up a brush, walked over to the big oil and added the glowing blue across the top of the foothills. That made a larger change than I had counted on, but the result was a good one.

That blue really moved the painting forward and more changes would be needed to bring the rest of the oil up to that higher mark. The foreground was lacking something, being in its present green meadow state. To correct that, my first move was to add the blue-purple banding at the top of the meadow under the trees and then overpaint the meadow grass with a variety of soft colors.

The oil was essentially finished and the rest of the time was spent in what I call 'tuning up' the canvas with a variety of brighter colors, giving attention to edges and working on small compositional elements.

Looking back, the painting is quite simple, two light areas divided by one dark one but hundreds of brushstrokes make it happen. I feel so fortunate to be a painter.

Grateful Notices: Gathering Light II, oil on canvas, 48 x 48 inches

Gathering Light II, oil on canvas, 48 x 48 inches Private collection
Exhibited: Dominique Boisjoli Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM

How far can you push red and orange in a landscape? As it turns out, quite a bit. The wall of colors in this background pushed the whole painting into a hot and surreal scene that demanded more bold moves to make it work - high contrast darks and bright yellows. 

it is always a pleasure to do a high-key oil like this but in order to do so, the real world has to be abandoned and given over to this new world of delicious brights in a red atmosphere. The real-world subtleties of greys and soft tones are burned out, leaving the a chord of bright, clear notes. Sometimes you just wanna shout!

My thanks to the collectors that purchased this oil from Dominique Boisjoli Fine Art, Santa Fe, NM.

Evening Patterns
Oil on canvas, 60 x 60 inches $12500 unframed
Saks Galleries, Denver
More about this oil on Ken's blog, For the Color
Video: Ken discusses this oil

Next Workshop:

Making it Fine Art: Moving to the Next Level with Ken Elliott

Castle Rock, CO, 2019
Sat - Sun, March 23-24

2 1/2 day Workshop

Sat - Sun, 9-4pm
Sat evening after break, 4:30 -7pm, Photoshop Tools and discussions.

Limited to 6 artists, $390 each Workshop flyer   Register online
Contact Ken

Open to artists in all media. Ken will discuss strategies for creating better artworks with a variety of common and creative tools. The workshop will focus the strategies for making better artworks, going to new places in your work and how to make fine art. He will use informative videos and pass on strategies not in the literature, but handed down from the very best teachers.

We will be going deeper into making better and more appealing artworks with a variety of strategies. 

Saturday evening, I will show you Photoshop techniques for taking your works to the next level and creating better pathways for finishing your artworks. You will be given a Photoshop guide and have access to a large photo file of over 1500 inspiring artworks.

Ken will demonstrate painting using oil and pastel. He will discuss the idea of making strong starts and keeping the way open for more interesting and dramatic finishes. Ample time will be given to live problem solving and creative options.


We previously had a fabulous Making it Fine Art Workshop where we launched new directions, had artistic thrills, great conversations and new friends were made!

Thank you all for coming and I’m very appreciative that you took these photos, Maureen.

Some of the canvases begun during a recent Workshop

Art critique

Art critique

Art demo on a work in progress, Red Progression, oil on canvas, 48 x 72 inches