Crossing the Blues

'Crossing the Blues' Oil on canvas, 24x18, $540
If you are interested in purchasing this painting please
email me at katherine@katherinetreffinger.com

I am finally calling this painting finished. I often start
a painting by cleaning my palette and putting the
remaining paint on the canvas of the new painting.
Then I create the painting responding to the paint that
has haphazardly been laid down. This time the paint
was particularly psychedelic and I loved it's intensity.
Now you might think this is a good place to start.
Actually what happened was I had too much on the
canvas that was already precious to me. What was
I going to destroy in order to make a painting that
worked? 'Precious' can be the enemy to creativity.
When I was working with Cindy collaboratively I
would say "ohhhh I love this part of the painting,
I love what is happening here." She would inevitably
paint over the part I had pointed to. I was wishing
I had Cindy there when I was working on this painting,
so I called on the Cindy in my self and attacked much
of the 'precious' (doesn't this bring to mind The Lord
of the Rings? "My little precious!).

I live close to the Oregon Trail in a valley at the Base
of the Blue Mountains. Crossing the Blues was the last
huge challenge for those traveling the Oregon Trail.
Some people died trying to cross these mountains.
Now it takes 45 minutes on the freeway. The title is
of course a triple entendre. And, yes, I had to pass
through the emotional blues to create this painting.