Closer to Home in 2015

 St. John's Harbour

I always make plans for the year that lies ahead of me. A plan provides me with goals and is a way of measuring progress towards those goals.  Not knowing where you're going can be amusing for awhile, but it often leads to stagnation and the making the same mistakes over and over.   At the end of the year, there are no measurables to determine if you've moved ahead or been successful.

  Salmon Cove rocks

So what is needed in a plan for art?

• A plan needs to be structured

A plan should be definite in objectives with tangible goals that can be measured against.  For instance, ket's say you want to learn how to paint with a new medium.  State what that medium is, how do you intend to learn how to use it (self teaching, workshops, videos, etc.), how many pieces of art you will create with it and how you will define success in becoming adept at the technique.

• A plan needs to push you outside your comfort level

We all love to sit in that comfy space, surrounded by what we are familiar with, whether tools or people. Sitting in the space never allows us to make mistakes.  Moving into areas outside that comfort zone pushes our creativity, adaptability and ensures exposure to new ways of doing things.  There is nothing like problem solving and being uncomfortable in creativing work or art related situations to make your brain work and ideas flow. Mistakes are how new techniques are born!  Embrace them.

• A plan needs to be based on business principles

If you want to be recognized as a professional artist and sell your work, art must be treated as a business.  Like any business, there are areas to concentrate on and monitor which can increase revenue, improve marketing and branding that help the business thrive.

Professionalism is vital in all areas from business to production and presentation of your work.  Long gone are the days of eccentric, egotistical, difficult artists as the expected norm.

• A plan needs to be flexible

While structure is required to form goals and measurable results, a plan needs to be flexible enough to adapt to situations and opportunities which arise during the year.  Perhaps a plan to have work in a gallery falls through, so ensure that the research is in place for an alternate gallery.   Or maybe partway through the year, you receive an opportunity to do a big commission when you had planned on a smaller series. Weigh up the pros and cons and if the commission is better than what you had planned, jump at it and put the series on hold.

Wetland Hoar Frost

So what are my plans for 2015?  I'm calling it the Closer to Home year.  I will be exploring more of my local surroundings, from local seascapes to my own 16 acre 'backyard'.  So much is left to capture on this island and I've barely scratched the surface.

 

Flatrock Harbour

 

I'm keeping my resources closer to home in terms of a new website and island based reproduction availability in 2015.  With currency conversions flipped from the a strong Canadian dollar to a weaker one, US options are no longer an option.

Cat and dog eye comparisons

I'm expanding my range of workshops and yes finally offering an online workshop in 2015 - I just bought a camcorder specifically for it, so no turning back now!

I'll be having a solo exhibit in June at Peter Lewis Gallery of my series of wooden boat paintings. I will also be looking at gallery opportunities outside the province - not closer to home I know, but exposure and marketing are needed outside this small island to secure visibility and revenue opportunities.

Whatever your plans for 2015, I wish you well and look forward to connecting with you during the year in person, online or through email.  My studio door is always open for artists and collectors to stop by for a coffee or a chat.



Top 10 of 2014

Happy New Year.  I've closed the door on 2014 and am looking forward to a new year full of challenges and opportunities.   Health, happiness and creativity is all I wish for you.  I know for some it can be difficult to find even one of these and especially all three together at times, but we can still wish for them, can't we? Your support as friends, some of who I have never met except virtually, is an important link in achieving the three wishes.  The community of artists and creatives and the network of ideas and support shores up the difficult times and celebrates the successes for each other.  We are never in this alone.

At the end of the year I like to reflect on the paintings that I have created and post my personal favourites.  At the time of painting, each one becomes my favourite, but of course, some resonate with me more than others.  Unfortunately I can't share the paintings I am producing of the wooden boat series, but I have created paintings outside that series during the year and will choose from those.

I'd love to know if my choices mirror any of your favorites.  These are listed in no particular order of favour.  Note the aquatic theme as usual with the odd one out being the portrait of my grand daughter.  I have always enjoyed creating portraits - both the challenge and pleasure of the human form and the unfinished piece captures the movement of a small child.

 Low Tide - Sold

Summer Line - Sold

Tide's Edge

Lion Cub  NFS

 Smooch - Sold

Summer - Sold

Leapfrog  Sold

Hitchhiker - Sold

The End of Summer- Sold

 Gale Force II

Boxing Day Christmas Giveaway

December 26th is Boxing Day.  Its origins were rooted in giving, when richer landowners would provide 'boxes' of food or goods to servants and service people.  In Canada and the UK, it is a holiday, an extension of Christmas when relaxation, leftovers and visiting are on the cards.  In some parts of Canada, stores are open again, enticing people in with sales.  To be honest, there is little that could entice into a store me after weeks of shopping in preparation for Christmas.

But in true Boxing Day fashion, I am giving away something today.  Today is the final day of my Christmas Giveaway and I am giving two of my Fishy Bits original prints to a subscriber to my mailing list.  The Fishy Bits prints were created in 2013 in a year long series of monthly relief prints.  Two of the twelve prints will be mailed to Marlene Hamel.  Congratulations.

The series of Fishy Bits prints are still available on my website until January 31st, after which time they will go into archives. Moving into a new year, there are always changes and archives are added to, pieces destroyed or re-purposed and new work starts.  I will be offering the remaining original prints at discounted prices until the end of January.  Make sure you're signed up as subscriber to my mailing list so you don't miss details in the January Studio News.

Christmas Day Giveaway

 

 I wish we could put some of the Christmas spirit in jars 

and open a jar of it every month.  Harlan Miller 

 

Merry Christmas.  I hope you find peace, hope and joy in the season wherever you are.

This is the third day of the Christmas Giveaway and according to the Random Number Generator, today's winner  is # 24, Geraldine Gillingham.  Geraldine will receive this original 5" x 7" oil painting "Hey, Sweetie".

This impressionist painting was completed using only a palette knife.  After working on large scale pieces, I often do a couple of small paintings to use up paint left over on my palette.  These wonderful big amaretto sweets were sitting in front of me, begging to be drawn.  They're almond based, more like cookies than candy I think and taste divine.  I'm never sure if I enjoy the contents or the beautiful wrappers more.

The final draw in the Christmas Giveaway takes place on Boxing Day, December 26th at 8pm island time.  To be eligible to be in the draw, you must be a subscriber to my mailing list.  You can easily do so by clicking on the link on the right or visit my Facebook page or my website www.jeanettejobson.com

If you previously subscribed, but are not receiving my mailings, you may not have resubscribed after the Canadian Privacy laws came into effect this past summer.  I had to ask all subscribers to resubscribe to my mailing list and if you had not done so, your contact would not be still on the list.  However, you can click on the subscription link to add your name again and continue to receive my monthly Studio News and occasional updates.

Christmas Eve Giveaway Winners

Elizabeth Joan Barber

July 31, 1924 - December 23, 2014

On December 23rd my mother passed away after a short illness, so life is disrupted at the moment. This Christmas hymn Hark the Herald Angels is one she knew and loved and seems appropriate for her and the season. I hope you enjoy it as well.

I had considered postponing the Christmas Giveaway, however I will continue with it over the 24th, 25th and 26th  as planned To be honest, that little bit of daily distraction takes my mind temporarily away from the surreal  feeling of dealing with a death of a family member.  And giving is the best part of Christmas, isn't it?

Six Purity Kisses Note Cards

As Christmas Eve is always my favourite day of the season, I will be giving art to two people, instead of one today.  The first is a set of six Purity Kisses note cards.  And the winner is Sheila Howell.

Merry Christmas Hares

8" x 10" giclee

The second giveaway is an 8" x 10" giclee reproduction of "Merry Christmas Hares".  This will be going to John Perry.

To be eligible to win in the next two Giveaway draws, you must be a mailing list subscriber.  You can join through the link on the right or on my website or Facebook page.

Tibb's Eve Winner

The first in the Christmas Giveaway takes place on December 23rd, also known as Tibb's Eve in Newfoundland. An 8" x 10" matted giclee of The Winningest Punt will be on its way to Julie Dunion.  Happy Tibb's Eve!

Tibb's Eve as a particular day on the calendar - the day before Christmas Eve - is specific to Newfoundland and Labrador.  As explained, sometime around World War Two, people along the south coast began to associate Dec. 23 with the phrase 'Tibb's Eve' and deemed it the first occasion it was acceptable to have a few Christmas tipples.

In many of the outport communities, it became a day where the men would visit each other's homes for a taste.  Because Christmas Eve was still a part of Advent, and that observance was almost as sober as Lent,  most traditional Christians would never consider taking a nip before Christmas Day prior to World War Two, which was even then perhaps a little early.

Tibb's Eve became a lighthearted means to extend the season - an idea not unlike when workers in the 19th century would lengthen their weekends by taking 'St. Monday' off from work.Tibb's Eve is sometimes known by several different names depending on the community. In some places, it's called 'Tipp's Eve' or 'Tipsy's Eve' - an evolution of the name in characteristic folkloric fashion.

On December 24th, the next draw will take place for two giveaways.  Just because I love Christmas Eve. :)  A set of 6 Purity Kisses notecards and an 8 x 10 giclee of Merry Christmas Hares.  Drawing takes place at 8pm island time on the 24th so you still have time to get in the running.  Simply join my mailing list and you're eligible!   You can do so through the link on the right side of this blog, on my Facebook page or on my website.

Christmas Apples

   

Christmas Apples

 7" x 10" mixed media

Christmas is speeding towards me, but I'm not ready on several fronts. This year the season will be low key as my mother is in the Acute Stroke Unit at a local hospital and the outcome is up in the air at the moment.

So between work and painting and daily visits to the hospital, Christmas has taken a bit of a back burner. I have some lights up on the property and inside and a tabletop tree, but no time to put up a large tree this year. And, to be honest, I don't really miss it.


I'm finishing up # 14 of the series of wooden boat paintings, which means just one is left! I hope to have some time over Christmas to work on the book that accompanies the series, which will be shown in a solo exhibit most likely in June 2015. I have to have the series and book done and dusted and the final grant report in by March 31st, so want all the ends tidied up before the end of February. It sounds like a long way off, but life has a way of changing focus, so I concentrate efforts where and when I can to get things done.

 

My breaks between large paintings are sketches and studies for paintings that I can work on after my boat series is complete. These are usually done in my sketchbook, and the medium used can be anything that takes my fancy, from oils to pastel, to pen and wash. I use Stilman & Birn sketchbooks with 100lb paper usually and that takes a lot of the abuse I give it without complaining.

These apples started life as a watercolour sketch, then soft pastel got into the party and this was the end result. As a number of people asked about availability, I made reproductions available through RedBubble on a variety of products.

Don't forget my Christmas Giveaway on December 24, 25 & 26th.  I've added one more giveway on December 23rd, known as Tibb's Eve in Newfoundland for an 8 x 10 matted reproduction of The Winningest Punt.  You need to be a subscriber to my mailing list to get into the draw for one of 5 giveaways - 2 on Christmas Eve and one on all the others days.  Each drawing will take place at 8pm Newfoundland time and I will email the subscriber and mail the art to them after Christmas.  Sign up is quick and easy through the link on the right side of my blog, or on my Facebook page or website.  Good luck!

Draw 5

Anyone who knows me, knows that I constantly reinforce the need for artists to have good drawing skills.  Often people want to jump right into painting without that rudimentary framework to guide a piece.  While not all paintings need a very detailed drawing, there are few that don't benefit from it.

Time is always a factor for people, especially in today's society where busyness is the order of the day.  Its almost as if people try to 'out boast' each other as to how busy they are and how many things they can juggle in the course of a day.  So drawing gets dumped into the "I'm too busy" category and becomes neglected.

To show you that it doesn't take a huge investment in time to hone drawing skills, I'm creating a series called Draw 5.  This shows how much you can actually put down on paper in just five minutes a day..  And you know you have five minutes a day somewhere in those 24 hours, don't you?  Add those captured minutes over a week, expand on them when you can and you'll see a difference in your drawing skills, I promise.

First Snow

 First Snow - SOLD

5" x 7"  oil on panel

After the first snowfall I drove to a rural gallery to pick up a couple of paintings that hadn't sold in the summer season.  The snow lay heavily in the trees and on the land and it was picture perfect.  Out of the corner of my eye I saw some boats pulled up on the grass for the winter and with their dusting of snow I knew there was a painting in there.

Registration is open as of today, December 15th, for my 2015 workshops in drawing and painting. I'm using a separate online registration system that provides one stop shopping for details, downloads and payment.  Full details of workshops and registration is available at the link below.



PS Workshops make fabulous gifts!

2015 art workshops

 
After a busy year of teaching art in my home studio, I am continuing by offering a series of art workshops in 2015 which has something for everyone from beginners to experienced artists.  I have learned as much as students do by teaching and workshops are tweaked to provide the best experience for participants based on feedback and working in the classroom. The need for learning traditional techniques in a variety of mediums is always present and my workshops emphasize classical methods of drawing and painting, providing a strong grounding to help build good art. 

I am offering five workshops types with available dates throughout the year, from March to December.2015 workshops range from 4 hour intensives to 3 day master classes

• Colour Theory - 4 hours
• Introduction to Classical Drawing - 2 four hour sessions
• Introduction to Palette Knife Painting - 4 hours
• Drawing Pet Portraits - 2 days
• Palette Knife Painting - Boats and Water - 3 days

I incorporated a new software package for registration which provides all the workshop information and registration details in one place as well as providing less work for me to create and monitor registration. You can search for available dates and workshops throughout the year, download supply lists and other required documentation all from the registration site.

Registration for 2015 workshops opens on December 15th, but if you're on my mailing list, you already have access to the workshop  link and can pre-register.  You can join my mailing list and receive monthly mailings of Studio News by clicking on the link on the right side of this page.

You can view the full listing of workshops on my website and the link to open registration will be posted here as well as on my website, Facebook and Twitter pages on the 15th.

Christmas Giveaway

My December Studio News will be distributed later today and it is packed with gifts for mailing list subscribers.  Its my way of saying thank you to everyone who has supported me over the last year.

I will be having a Christmas Giveaway just for mailing list subscribers.  Four people will win art prizes of original art and prints, art cards or a giclee.  Drawings for the first two giveaways will take place on December 24th, with another winner on December 25 and the final on December 26, Boxing Day.   All you need to do to enter is be a current mail list subscriber.  If you are not on the mailing list already, you can sign up at the link on the right or on my website www.jeanettejobson.com or my Facebook page.

If you've signed up, you'll also receive a discount code for my 2015 series of 3 day Palette Knife Painting workshops - Painting Boats and Water and have a chance to pre-register before registration opens on December 15th.

There is lots of information jammed into this Studio News edition that I'd love to share with you - Draw 5, FAQs about my work, a special Christmas card just for you...oh and those gifts...

White Chameleon

 White and Silver   - SOLD

5" x 7"  oil on panel

White is such an interesting colour to paint.  The purity of it when examined is not pure at all.  There is no single blanket of white.  It is a Joseph's coat of many colours that reflect the environment around it so that the use of a pure white such as titanium white in paint is left as an accent rather than a predominant hue.

This still life of a ceramic and silver ornament is made up of many colour:  orange, yellow, violet, blue, grey.  But the ornaments still read as white to the viewer.  Try putting a white object on a plain white surface and see it pick up colours from its surroundings.  Put a sheet of coloured paper under the white object or sit it next to something colourful and watch it change again, like a chameleon. 

White can become warm or cool depending on its surroundings such as in this painting “The Two Sisters” by Joaquin Sorolla.  The sunshine gives a warm yellow cast to the dress which we instantly know is white, yet the blue of the sea provides cool whites depicting reflections and wave caps.

Traveller's tales

 
I've been travelling, which of course, interrupts painting progress. Even though I can't access my studio, my brain continues to plot and plan and paint and I find small vignettes of life to sketch in my journeys and available time.

Airports and airplanes are perfect for people watching and sketching and I always take out my sketchbook to pass time and capture faces and gestures.

 

Heading to Montreal, I had this unique combination of gate and airplane seat number.  For anyone superstitious, it could be worrying.  But a smooth, uneventful flight as expected.  

 

Gold Mercury

 Gold Mercury - SOLD

5 x 7   oil on panel

And still more mercury glass!

Its more about the challenge of painting reflections than the actual shape of a subject for me. The light is likely what draws me to paint water and boats.  Reflected light and shadow need careful observation and consideration before putting down a single palette knife stroke.  Using a fractured stroke in areas, I drag wet paint across the picture plane, pulling colour from one area into another, creating lost edges and movement.

I probably look more than I paint in fact - like the carpenter's saying "Measure twice, cut once."  Its similar for artists.  The longer you spend observing and taking in visual information on shape, colour and value, the better chance you have for success than if you just slap down paint then try to correct in on the support.  That's when mud and frustration happen.

You can find more of my work on my website Jeanette Jobson Fine Art, my blog, Illustrated Life and on Facebook and Twitter.  Stop by and say hi, I'd love to hear from you!

Mercury glass

Mercury Glass - SOLD

5 x 7   oil on panel

I inherited a number of mercury glass ornaments that were my parents and their parents before them which were hung on Christmas trees over the years. Its amusing to see manufacturers create replicas of original mercury glass, but as is said, what goes around, comes around.  It seems the world reverts to the classics in many areas.

Mercury glass, also known as silvered glass, contains neither mercury nor silver. It's actually clear glass, mold-blown into double-walled shapes and coated on the inside with a silvering formula.  There is a nostalgia associated with these decorative ornaments and they do have a special appeal that can't be found in ornaments created today.

These ornament sized paintings are a break for me between painting larger pieces in my current boat series, which is on # 11 out of 15 planned pieces.  I am on track, more or less, just need to really focus on painting, which is why this blog is a little sporadic over the last few months.  However, I can see light at the end of the tunnel.   Here's a little peek at what's on the canvas right now.  I can't reveal completed paintings until my solo exhibition opens in the spring, but I can provide little glimpses like this. :)
 

You can find more of my work on my website Jeanette Jobson Fine Art and on Facebook and Twitter.  Stop by and say hi, I'd love to hear from you!

Remember

French Poppy - Sold

5" x 7"  oil on panel

CQMS 930 Bastow, Gordon Clarence St. John's Fatality 11/10/16
Pte. 700 Bastow, Frederick Donald St. John's Fatality 12/10/16
Pte. 2750 Bastow, Albert Chesley St. John's Fatality 11/11/17

Three brothers had three sons who joined the 1st Newfoundland Regiment and went to the Great War but never returned.

Gordon Bastow, shown above, was my great uncle. Missing in action at the battle in Gueudecourt, France. His body was never found. Age 22

Frederick died of a gunshot wound to the head, buried in Wandsworth Cemetery in England Age 22

Albert died of disease in Kriegsgefangenenlager, a prisoner of war camp in Germany and was buried at Conde-Sur-L'Escaut Cemetery, northern France. Age 22

Information on these men as well as many others are listed on the Great War database at The Rooms http://www.therooms.ca/regiment/part3_database.asp
 
Last Post http://www.dva.gov.au/…/organise_eve…/Documents/LastPost.mp3

Voices

Wave demo

oil on paper

Reproductions available through Fine Art America

As I paint, there are voices in my head.  No, not a mental health issue, more an internal guidance system that help me make decisions on the fly.  There is a colour commentary going on as I paint, that goes like this:


"OK, what's the colour/hue that I need to mix?  Is it the right value?  Let's put some on the canvas...ok, that works/darn, that's too bright/dark/light/wrong colour etc.  I want to lighten it with some of the blue.  Add more white, pull some paint from the mix created previously, try it again.  Ok, that works, now leave it alone and go on to the next section."

It sounds crazy when I write it out, but really that's the conversation I'm having with myself when I paint.  Its a series of internal questions, verified by paint strokes on the canvas than pushes me to the point of my original vision for a piece.  Each impending colour, value, or stroke is preceded by a deliberate decision. Whether that decision takes microseconds or hours, its still a decision that is debated internally, and sometimes on canvas.  It is a comparison of what is there to what could be there to determine if there will be harmony or a clash that sends me off the path.

Making Waves

demo oil on paper

Developing this conversation takes time and practice and is essential to provide the series of internal checks and balances that are required to make art that I am happy to put my name to. 

Do others have those internal conversations when painting?  I remember hearing a similar painting thought process from one artist, Rose Frantzen, but not from other artists.  Perhaps its not something one mentions in public for fear of being considered altogether too strange.

Inspiration tantrums

 Plumb Tuckered Out

5" x 7" oil on panel

Available from Etsy - $50 plus shipping

Inspiration is one of those strange things.  There is nothing constant about, no predictability, no reliability either.  It can be as elusive as a needle in a haystack or it floods your head with so many ideas you don't know where to start.

What is inspiration exactly?  The Oxford dictionary definition is:

"The process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially to do something creative."

When inspiration evades us, it can be coaxed out of hiding by ignoring it completely and just carrying on in any creative vein.  Like a toddler having a tantrum, if ignored, it stops crying and thrashing around and becomes curious about what you're doing.  Curiosity is replaced by the "I want to do that too." phase and before you know it, inspiration takes over your hand and head and is slapping paint on the canvas like never before.

Each time I finish a painting, inspiration drains a little and that's where I pull out the small canvasses like this one and just play.  I can see inspiration poking her head around the corner, sniffling a little but curious too...

Autumn Pear

 Autumn Pear - SOLD

5" x 7"  oil on panel

Silence doesn't mean I'm not painting.  It means its head down mode and full steam ahead.  I'm trying to make up time in the boat series after deciding that one piece just wasn't working for me, and there was no choice but to restart it.

I think we all know when we don't put our best out there.  Sometimes its easy to let something go just because its the path of least resistance, even if we know something is not right with the painting.  Yes, I could have added the piece but, to me, it would have stuck out like a sore thumb in exhibition and niggled at me constantly.

So now its being redone and coming along nicely.  I've also got #9 on the easel and am pretty much on track again for time - or I hope so.

Of course with the end of one painting, the inevitable "end of palette" small painting was in order.  An autumn pear.  Pears are likely the most over painted subject in the world, some good, some bad and some very bad.  To give them their dues, the shape is simple and value can be complex depending on the lighting.  Its the perfect beginner's fruit to test painting skills with in all mediums.

When I finish all the boats in the series, it might be fun to see if people can match the end of palette painting with the actually painting, based on colours used.

Insomnia series

 Blue Christmas  - SOLD

5" x 7"

oil on panel

When I can't sleep, there is no point in me staying in bed tossing and turning and fighting with the  thoughts in my head.  I get up after about 10 minutes of trying to sleep and head to the studio.  Doing something, anything is the only way to quiet my mind.

The disadvantage is that painting or drawing takes over and before you know it, the night has gone and sleep hasn't come.  Then I must either go to work or start the day. Sleep usually is not the option that ever wins, at least not until late in the day, as morning primes my spirit and soul.

During my restless nights, I work on large paintings or sometimes tackle little pieces like this one, done around 4am this morning.  I should call these the "Insomnia series".  Where the Christmas theme came from this morning I have no idea.  But it made itself known there in the wee hours.

Paintings are like books

 A painting is like a book, there is a beginning, a middle and and end. But paintings seem to come with more twists and surprises along the way, although some books can do that too.

There is a beginning to each painting; this is where the planning takes place.  It involves subject, composition, sketches, value studies, colour studies and palette choices.

 
The middle can be no man's land where things can go very well or go very poorly.  That section rests on mindset and experience.  There is a point where every artist believes their painting is beyond disgusting.  They believe they should never paint, why did they ever believe they could paint and that they'll give it all up and start knitting.  With experience comes the knowledge that this is simply a phase of unfinished work and progress is not often pretty.  Knowing that fact and keeping in mind the vision in your head sees me through to the end.


As the end approaches, all that angst from the midsection is eliminated and you can see things coming together.  There are still moments of trouble, where those 'just one little stroke here' can be the death of a painting that you spent hours on.  Like approaching wild animals:  slow movements, gentle touches and never look into its eyes.  That last section is putting the painting far from you and not looking at it for a week or more before deciding if any adjustments are needed.

I've just put #7 to the wall of the series of 15 wooden boat paintings that I'm working on and #8 is at the beginning stage.  Unfortunately I can't show you the full painting until the exhibition, but you can see glimpses here and there to pique your interest.

Glassy Jack

 Glassy Jack - SOLD

5" x 7"  oil on panel

Glassy Jack always makes an appearance in October, gearing up for the season of falling leaves, cold nights, candy corn, shiny smiles and long shadows. He's looking for a permanent residence to share his brilliance. Could it be you?

I have a couple of glass pumpkins that seem to find their way on to table tops in the fall and provide a warm glow in the evenings.  With a small candle casting light and shadow across a surface, its a prime candidate for a small painting.


There is an illusion that glass is difficult to draw or paint. In reality, its an investment of time to observe shapes and values and patience in ensuring colours correct and in the right place.  Easier said than done, you're saying.   Like the old carpenter's rule of "Measure twice, cut once.", something similar is true in painting.  I observe much more than I paint, meaning that I look carefully a number of times, check shape and proportion, colour hue and value against the subject and my colour study, THEN I put paint on the panel.  And one stroke only, removing the knife and going on to the next stroke.