In January 2025, I took part in the Strada Easel Challenge (https://www.instagram.com/strada.easel/ @strada.easel). The requirements were to post a new drawing or painting from life or to show progress compared to a past post of the same piece. Now that the challenge is over, want to continue with my own version of the challenge. I learned a lot from the discipline of painting or drawing every day and posting the results every day. Based on what I learned and the inspiration I feel right now. the aim of my new work is to develop a level of virtuosity beyond intellect, so that this virtuosity comes out of in many styles and mediums. And so that there’s a free flow, rather than careful meticulousness. I don’t want to depend on set steps for how to create a painting or drawing. Instead, the plan of attack changes with each situation.

Based on this new approach and focus, this shift towards more spontaneous and less meticulous artistic expression, I am now more willing to acknowledge that many of the paintings and drawings with not live up to my standards. They will not demonstrate the virtuosity I am working to achieve. They are step in the process and I will post them anyway.

Here are a few examples that I drew today. They are so not “right” in proportion, value or anything else but I am excited by the way they demonstrate a free-flowing spontaneity. My vision is to always maintain this freedom and spontaneity while continuously growing in ability to depict what I see both in the outside world and in my imagination with increase virtuosity.