Many years ago I was asked to show my work in Pacific Grove. I had the whole hallway; I had 20 or 25 paintings up. And I remember thinking, “I’ve reached the top. I’ve arrived in Monterey. Look out world, here’s Bob.”
There were a lot of people at the opening reception, a shoulder-to-shoulder thing, looking at the artwork. I stood behind somebody who commented, “Oh, this guy outlines.” He probably expected me to follow the style of the California impressionists: they don’t outline. I rely on outlines; I think they’re effective. If Van Gogh did it, it’s good enough for me.
I never paint with black. I use a combination of phthalocyanine blue and medium cadmium red to get either a warm or cold black.