Artist Reply: Rarely anymore, Carrie. At one time I did quite a lot, and perhaps since then feel that I've gotten enough of it in my head to proceed from there. I also find that not having to fight the elements outdoors gives me more opportunity to focus on the painting. I do, however, still use a lot of material from photographs I take. None of those have been posted here yet, but they will be, at some point. Stay tuned!

Artist Reply: Thanks for your great comment, Chris. I was a little reluctant to upload this image, since it's more subtle than most of mine, but I'm glad you have the vision to perceive the value of it. And thanks for your vote! - Michael