Working on Brush Strokes

I'm trying to improve my brush strokes with oils. I haven't been having much luck composing interesting still life to use for my studying because I have such a limited time to paint. Buying loads of fruit and such isn't feasible and I try to keep clutter to a minimum, so collecting gobs of interesting "stuff" to paint isn't desired. I decided to work with some of the master painters by copying their work.

Now, don't get me wrong - I am a BIG believer in using your own designs, own photographs (NO photos from the web!!), and own compositions when you plan on selling or exhibiting your work in public. Just because the photos are on the web does not mean you can copy and call it your own!

But for classroom work, historically, students have studied and copied many master's paintings. Today, I used a section of a painting by a well known painter to study. This was SO helpful to me. I do not plan on exhibiting or selling this painting. This composition is not mine. I have always used this blog to document my work, mainly for my own use. I find it very helpful to look back at my work, see the process I used, and work to get better.

I will try this again. Below are progress shots from my work today: