Autumn by the Coquet by Marjorie Firth

Very nice

Beautiful 😍

That is so beautiful!!

Wow, its so good !

You’re very kind David. Thank you Claire and Faye. I find it hard to paint loosely, to avoid too much detail, but I’m trying…never too late eh?

Magical use of color! Excellent work!

Beautifully done Marjorie, it’s not easy to work loosely when you normally don’t , something I struggle with as well .

Lovely picture Marjorie.

I like this, but - really: don't feel you have to "loosen up", unless you really want to. As a concept, it's so overrated; there's nothing special about "loose" - you certainly don't want to be neurotically tight, but I'm getting increasingly troubled by the constant advice to loosen up; unless you really want to, is there really any point? Was Rembrandt loose? Was van Gogh loose? Turner? Really not, if you look hard at their work - they did extract unnecessary detail, true; but I think all of them maintained a control of their medium and the expressiveness of their brushstrokes which wasn't "loose" at all. This is a recent concern of mine, and probably I take it too far - but all the same: just go your own way always seems the best advice to me; loose, detailed, whatever - I know you know what you're doing, so I'll shut up. But - there's more than one way to skin a cat (which I realize you'd never actually want to DO...).

It’s beautiful, Marjorie. That purple blue in the water is one I always want to capture. Very nice light on the top. And very interesting what Robert said

First of all, thank you all for commenting. As to loosening up, I think I mean being more expressive with brushstrokes, letting the paint do its work and allowing myself to “ go with the flow” if you see what I mean.

Lovely work Marjorie and I have to agree with Robert regarding this obsession with 'loosening up.' I'm not referring directly to you Marjorie but there seems to be a predominance of artists wishing to paint loosely these days and I don't really understand why.

It's a wonderful Autumnal painting, I like it a LOT

I think you’ve cracked the loosening here Marjorie. Ie not stiff and overworked in any way.

Lovely work Marjorie.

Thanks again folks. Difficult to explain ourselves online in a succinct way…never completely satisfied…but would we continue if we were?

Amazing light on the left.

Love the simplicity of this Marjorie.

That's a beauty Marjorie, and with a light, delicate touch. (When paintings are stiff, wooden or overworked they're rather lifeless, and painting in a 'looser' expressive way gives painting life and energy).

For me loosening up is about don’t giving the viewer everything explained, trying to get the brush strokes right at first, and as Marjorie said, try to be open to where the painting may lead you. I struggle with all that :D. Sorry for debating here

No, I agree with you Federico. Thanks Susan, Carole and Hilary - and for your thoughts.

Beautiful.

Love this one, Marjorie!

Wow, this is so beautiful and expressive

Loose is good, like those flicks of paint that give the sparkle Marjorie.

Wow so good