Palm Fronds Painting

Looking up into a grove of palm trees captures all the feeling of being out in Palm Springs, surrounded by the warm California desert. This painting is alive with impasto texture, and the brush strokes come together to form a mosaic of light and color, like stained glass. Q: What is your preferred medium? Do you experiment with others? Erin Hanson: I only paint in oils right now. Of course when I was younger I practiced with any medium I could get my hands on: pen and ink, charcoal, watercolor, watercolor pencils, pastels, oil pastels, and acrylics. When I was a teenager, I worked nights and weekends at a mural studio, and we created giant 40-ft acrylic paintings that were hung in restaurants and casinos around the world. My favorite medium has always been oil, however. In fact, I began painting in oils when I was 8 years old. I love carrying on the tradition of the early impressionists and other masters by using the medium of oil. There is something very satisfying about the texture, smell and hues of organic oil paint.