I have recently set up my studio as a painting-only studio (had been working in other media) after having abandoned oils for more than a decade.  I gave acrylics a shot a few years ago, but I found that acrylics didn't quite satifsfy me as the oils did.  I am happy to have returned to the medium, and will have on display a handful of pieces that I've been working on for the past few weeks.  Historically, I've mostly painted portraits of fictitious characters, but am giving landscapes a shot for the first time--very minimal, with clouds as the focus.  It was my intention that these landscape "exercises" would serve to add dimension to future portrait painting, but I'm finding that I like them as they are--stark and simple.  I'm seeing some character development where no character is present, and I am excited about exploring that.