Stage 01: Here's the first stage of a new oil painting, 6"x6". It's from a photo I took in West Virginia. It's a beautiful spot. I love the color of the rocks and how they work with the colors found in the pine trees.

When painting, I like to start out really loose. I try to see everything as abstract shapes, lights and darks and really draw it out correctly. I squint my eyes a lot and step back to see if the values are accurate. I'm excited to keep working on this. Look for more stages of this painting to follow.

Stage 02: Not very different and out of focus. Sorry. More to come...

Here's Stage 03. I feel like I am getting there. It's a complicated scene, but a good challenge. Starting off with an accurate drawing is really important. More to come soon...

Here's the final. It was a challenge, but I'm glad I did it. The color is closer to the original.