Block ins!

After a dearth of inspiration, the new year has brought me back to life! It is my favorite part of the whole creative process for me and that is, The Block In phase. In the first week of January I started not one, not two, but FOUR new paintings. It is my habit to have multiple canvas's going at any one time and as it has been so long since I have felt any motivation to work, the ideas kept flowing out of me. I still have 2-3 unfinished pieces from when I left off but I needed a fresh start for the new year. They will find their place in the queue as the spirit moves me. One of them I am thinking will just have to start over a new life just as I am endeavoring to do. I have moved on and it just doesn't work for me anymore.
The first one of the new year is local. Walking Washington Park for the past three decades still brings new things to light. Our winter has been so warm, that fall extended way into December if not early January. I took numerous photos of this one particular view and many of the images clamored to be done until I settled on one that is a challenge for me. It is half graphic and half soft edges. I do not normally share the photograph, but I will this time.

What attracted me to this scene was the symmetry and the very, almost blocky shapes of the houses interspersed with the softening effect of the trees in winter.  But I can also just keep those trees very graphic as well. This stumped me initially, as to what to do, which approach did I want to follow? You will have to stay tuned to discover how the story ends. Here is a foretaste but no necessarily a clue.

Looking for the dark shapes

Working out the rhythms and patterns

In this bottom version I noticed that the cloud in the reflection is a bit too angled, so that will be rectified. A tree does go in front of it but that does not alleviate the need for adjustment.