Just not there ...

I'm trying really really hard to simplify my painting style.  I spend a lot of effort trying to avoid details while keeping them.  I've really enjoyed and learned a lot from my time doing small sumi-e paintings.  What I've been trying to do is keep that deliberate simplicity in all of my paintings.  Stark strong strokes.  Basic colors. I'm just not getting the results I had hoped for.  Quite a few half-finished pieces have been thrown away.

This is sort of what I'm hoping to achieve (although I realize I can't possibly live up to this):

Koichi Okada II - Mount Fuji

Fogku Sanjurokkei - Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji

Soniei - Flowers