Brushwork - and a basketball metaphor

Keeper's Cottage - window detail

Recently, a number of people have commented on my brushwork. Some of my students have remarked that they want to lay down paint like I do. Thoughts about that in a second... Truth is, my brush work varies from painting to painting depending on a variety of factors.  In this painting, "Keeper's Cottage", I had about 40 minutes before the sun was gone, and midway through the painting, I realized my prediction for the shadow shapes and their movement was completely off so I was racing to get them down before they were gone. My intention was to work on the painting back in my studio, but I loved the immediacy of it, so left it alone.  There is even a place next to the window where the primed surface is untouched by paint.  It worked for this subject.  

Keeper's Cottage - shadow detail

Back to the desire to lay paint down like another artist... that can be a goal, or motivation for an examination of your style.  That type of thinking is an important piece of the intentionality needed to develop your artistic self, and is a continual process for me.  However, loose paint and the impression of spontaneity do not trump good foundational skills of accurate values, clean color, good design.  To use a basketball metaphor, it's a full court press, all the time.  

Thanks for looking!   

Keeper's Cottage - sky detail