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Each motiv, to become a perfect picture, demands its own solution, experiment, preparation. From the first color - impression of a sketch I must proceed to larger sketches, composition, simplification, realization of the expression, not mere pictorial satisfaction in suggesting ideas by putting nature before the eye. It is better do so and fully prepare, at full scale, on paper, a ptg than to do all this on the canvas with a lot of uncertainties, scrapings and overpaintings. If one is out for a new thing, one cannot spare trouble and pains, in order to acquire skill and become convinced of ones own views. As the sailor of the ocean can never be without his compass, so the individual autodidact painter must rigidly hold to his insight, liberty, convictions and program, at every hour and look into himself alone for guidance, since no other painter before or living knows that one course. It makes all else, whatever principles, effects, methods, questionable. Having seen, learned, investigated all, one requires absolute freedom, pure impulse and denial of all else for the constant work ahead. 

Dec 31-11 #15 finished (3rd ptg) on partly dry partly tacky underptg without re-oiling, partly for ultr & rm with a, l & tu addition, but mostly with pure tube colors, as before, also blue black. The blue sky in strokes following concentr. periph; the white idea carried thro' gives much air, light, cold and strengthens & harmonizes the colorite. 

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