One By One…

I found out recently that it’s not just artists who like to start projects and then struggle to finish them. I’m sure all artists aren’t this way, but I’ve talked with a number who are. I know I’ll get all these ideas for paintings – maybe I’ve just looked over the latest couple hundred photos I’ve taken and some of them are screaming to be done. I’ll decide what to do what size, go crazy tinting canvases and jump right in with half a dozen new pieces. I’m not usually satisfied until I get them to the monochromatic underpainting stage. At that point, usually a significant drying time is necessary, so that means leaving them for a week. And sometimes, at that point, between the fear of losing that underpainting and the loss of that initial excitement, more than a week passes before I get back to the project. Sometimes I end up with a fairly large number of started pieces! When I no longer have that “drying time” excuse to let them be, it’s time to “boldly go” and get into the colour and get them finished!

I suppose this blog instills a certain amount of accountability, as I posted a number of these paintings last year – was it really that long ago? In the last few weeks I’ve been working on finishing some of the ones I’ve posted. First one to be completed was the little Haflinger colt I photographed last spring. I completed the underpainting a while back and really, my avoidance is ridiculous because often once the real work of establishing tones is done, the colour is like dessert! It progressed very quickly, and made it’s colour debut at the spring Triptych Painter’s show this past weekend. Due to a bit of rainy weather we didn’t get our usual turnout, but I already have an order for a giclée from this painting.

Now sitting on the easel is my WIP of Jambalaya winning the Singspeil Stakes last year. It’s progressing nicely, and I believe, once it’s done, I’m caught up – on the oil paintings, at least!