Red House 11×14

I've decided to share one of my earlier plein air paintings in order to explore a few thoughts on the process of learning.

At this point in my painting career I feel that I have reached a plateau, and quite possibly I have even regressed some.  Is this to be expected, or am I missing some critical element?  I am painting more, becoming more familiar with the work of other artists, discovering more about the subtleties of paint application and the use of edges, value and color.  In theory all of this should lead to my being able to produce more technically skilled, expressive, and powerful paintings, but in reality, the opposite seems to be occurring.  I have faith that this is partly due to simply having higher expectations and a more critical eye, and that it is also a natural part of the learning process.  I am sure that I will one day produce a piece that I like as much as that one I painted a year ago.

Thanks for viewing.