Onions and Tomato

So exciting -- I am taking a class with Jennifer Balkan and we had the first meeting last night. We did value studies, quick 5 minutes for each one, in oils from a model -- aaauuugh! So much info, but that's the point, simplify and reduce. I need a tee shirt. I am hoping with practice my brain will adjust itself to this method of seeing. Fear and panic are helpful, when you hear that one minute left call and you don't even have your lights in, you cowboy right up as they say here in Texas. One of the most helpful things we discussed was the actual holding of the brush. I am ashamed to say I have been holding mine like a scalpel and worse, toward the front of the handle. On the above painting I held it by the tail end as if I were holding a stick. And we are not to use medium, so the paint gets thinned with a bit of turp, but stays pretty thick. Therefore, it goes on thickly - which I love, except for the faint sense of $$$$ alarm, but this just has to be overcome. The results of all this, so far as I can tell now, is that it makes for a more vigorous painting that is clearly stated. So good!