The dignity of the artist lies in his duty of keeping awake the sense of wonder in the world. In this long vigil he often has to vary his methods of stimulation; but in this long vigil he is also himself striving against a continual tendency to sleep.

- Marc Chagall

Although color will probably always be apparent in my work, at this point in my painting career I felt I was at an impasse, not really exploring everything I wanted to see happen on my canvas--stuck, if you will. Blue sky thinking means coming up with a multitude of ideas without being restricted to what is practical (similar to brainstorming); in particular, an optimistic assumption is made that there will be no obstacles or opposition to implementation of the idea--and it all sounded good to me. Once I granted myself the freedom to do whatever it was I felt like at the moment, wild and crazy paintings started appearing all around me, brighter colors, fresher patterns, original compositions were all possible, still utilizing my credo of working from life (or at least my own photos). I have learned much from this embracing, it was a fun ride and it's not over yet.