New Wave Series 1 - recap

The last month or so was about exploring and pushing boundaries, looking for fresh possibilities with some of the subjects I like painting. Not reinventing the wheel or extreme as in the Jeff Koons factory produce "Fun stuff" I call theme park art, but something acceptable in the mainstream art world I follow via Artnet - News
 
Progress is not always easy to see as we move along. I always start out with good intentions but typically end up somewhere else, so it's logical to do a self-critique every once in a while. Then, armed with that information make a new run at it.

That's where I am today, at the end of a wave or series. I completed (11) canvases, mostly large, starting with #899 and ending with #909, all posted below. I also included the painting that forced my course change #898 

LAST 12 PAINTINGS (Series 1) IN PAINT ORDER

898 I'm bored silly - Time to move on 48x44

 899 Super large - more abstraction 72x96

 900 Going nowhere 56x45

 901 What was I thinking! 72x66

902 Fresh start - Paring down colour 56x46

903 Pushing colour - Fun project but...56x46

 904 Simplification on a larger scale 48x44

905 Larger and clean 66x60
BRAINY IDEA - GOLD LEAF

906 Gold leaf experiment (1) 14x11

907 Gold leaf experiment (2) 20x20

908 Koi painting using gold leaf as a subtle detail 46x54

909 Large Koi painting with gold leaf as a major detail 66x72

Not a bad run, I'm not there yet, not even close but I have moved off the starting line! I pared down and simplified paintings 904 and 905 which worked well. These led me to using a new gold metal leaf material (samples) 906, 907 and (2) finished paintings 908 and 909. The rest showed me what I didn't want going forward!

Later.......