This is an early painting I did with no preparation or real plan, other than to play with lights and shadows. I mixed the colors directly on the canvas and chose lights and shadows as I moved along.

I especially like the way the lights and the shadows play through the archway, and although the geometry is extremely simple I think it has a good depth, and kind of makes you want to take a walk through the arch to see what is on the other side.

The painting is 30cm by 30cm and currently hanging in my living room with it's sibling (which you can see in in the site header).

I only use knives. I like how they make the oils blend to create rough gradients of color without ever getting boring, and the structure that they leave behind on the canvas.

It started by conicidence as I didn't have any good brushes when I first decided to try oil painting, and knives are, well, knives - quality makes little difference.

I could have gone out and bought some good brushes, but for some reason I don't feel the need. Maybe it is because I am impatient and generally find knives faster to work with. It might also be because I always paint wet-in-wet which I find nearly impossible with a brush.