Lately I've had so many interruptions and distractions that have prevented me from actually finishing very many paintings. I don't know why that is. I certainly have the time and I do go to my studio, but new ideas and the motivation seemed to be missing.
This morning I was determined to break the cycle. After going through my usual ritual of reading the paper, doing the crossword puzzles and catching up on all my email, I decided to tackle a new painting and not worry about the outcome. I had a false start, that is, I had to gesso over my first attempt but I was hell-bent on actually completing a painting today.
I decided to approach this painting from a totally different angle than my usual way of starting a painting. I normally like to wash in my colors, slowly building layer upon layer of glazes. Today was different! I needed something bold! After laying in a ground of diluted red tones, I drew in the composition with a diluted neutral tone. I started to apply the paints thickly. As they dried, I continued to layer more creamy colors, allowing under colors and textures to show through. Finally, the painting decided it was finished!
I needed that! Sometimes we get in a rut and rather than sit around mulling about it, we need to break loose and just do something totally different. I think that refreshes our psyche and causes us to look at things with a fresh eye.
Oh, I almost forgot. The painting reminds me of someone dancing in the garden at the start of Spring, so I named it "Garden Dance". If you like it as much as I do, take an opportunity to bid on it on Ebay.
Check out my website for more original paintings.
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