Portraits v. Landscape v. Still Life?

[Karin Wells]

Help! There is hardly any room left in my studio. I began my struggle with landscapes once again because I needed something convincing for a portrait background. After I started doing these little studies I've become quite addicted to them and cannot seem to quit.

I think that it is ironic since I was the portrait/still life painter who started this thread because I couldn't do a landscape. And now I'm ready to admit that I need to to find a chapter of "Landscapes Anonymous" near me.

Sometimes I do a couple of these a day just to "loosen up" before I begin work on a portrait. The following pix are a fraction of my first efforts. I've probably painted a hundred of these things so far. Some are good, some aren't.