Here is the latest on the abstract that I discussed below. In the interim between the background I painted first and what you see here, I really messed up one day. I ended up being not only disappointed, but angry about it. So I just scraped all the paint off and let it dry for a day before re-starting. Then I took a bit more time and moved from painting with the paper almost flat to having it on my easel so that I could step back constantly, as is my usual practice. I am much happier with this. I am thinking of adding a few dark straight lines, but will mull that while it dries for a few days.

Today I switched over from acrylics to oils for a while. It gives me a fresh start because working one is so very different from the other. Oils give me more time (dry more slowly), respond to  surfaces and applicators more smoothly, and require much more clean up effort. 

I am using paper (Arches) for the first time with oils. I am hoping that this makes it easier for purchases. The high cost of freight to ship paintings on board or canvas is a real deterrent for some.

Below are photos of the outset. I began the adventure yesterday by acquiring a backboard to hold the paper. This morning I cut it down to size and affixed position markers for the paper to keep it level and straight. By late morning, I was ready to go. I applied the backcoating and am now letting it dry a bit to get it ready for the actual painting.

Today I read something that really clicked with me. A soliton (new word for me) is theoretically a type of wave or "warp bubble" that allows its contents to move at a speed faster than light. I was delighted that there is a word for the concept because that is exactly what I think the orange-red orbs are in the painting below entitled Outside of Time.

Someone made a comment on Instagram noting that blues had been added to the revision of the painting. I responded that, yes, I was trying to achieve balance as I imagined it would be in outer space. Before there were warm colors, like the sun. Then I added cool, like the moon.

I am thinking of calling this "Outside of Time" because it was inspired by thinking doubt the Universe out there.....way out there. It began with my following the story about exploration of Mars and the dear rover, Percy (Perseverence). Anyway, here is a close up of the painting.

Here is the revision of the painting that I showed you yesterday. I think it is finally finished, but I am not going to varnish it for a while, just in case.

Sometimes I revisit a work that I think is complete and find that I am totally dissatisfied. I have no idea what changed in the interim between when I thought that the work was complete and then decided it wasn't. But I know for sure that once the muse has rendered such a verdict, I have no choice but to try again if the piece hasn't already been sold or varnished.

Such is the case with the painting shown below. I have started fiddling with it, but have no clear direction in mind. I am letting myself go, thinking that I may  never let this one see the light of day again. But actually I am pleased with the way things are going. I will let you see it soon and see what you think.

Good news! I am finally taking steps to creating an audiobook for Filming An Indie. I haven't decided whether to do the voice myself or to hire someone, but would like to try it out. I'll be attempting a first trial recording this coming week. 

Once in a while, things are easy, or at least relatively so. This painting fell together in just about two weeks. I feel like I am through with it, which is unusual for me. If I set aside anything and think of it for a while, I usually see tweaks I want to make. We shall see if that happens with this one. I won't varnish it for a bit, just in case. I have yet to decide on how best to view it.

From my studies over the past week I reached an unavoidable conclusion: I can't take shortcuts or I end up not liking the work. Then it takes me twice as long as it would have to correct it as it would have if I had just done what I should have done from the start.

The whole exercise began when I decided that I need to paint faster. My motive was twofold. I thought that this would allow the inner emotions and instincts to take over my cerebral approach to my art. Second, I have seen on instagram that many artists produce work at a prolific pace and I admit to wanting to be like them and do a work every 1-3 days. Well, as said, that caused me to fail.

Here is a painting that I did fairly quickly. I don't like it very much and if I don't, how can I expect to reach my prospective viewer. So, I am starting afresh. I can't call it starting from scratch, as I will work with what I have. But I want to see if this can reach anywhere I would like to go with it.

I thought it might interest you to see some of the process of this painting. This is one of the few that pretty much is ending up as I originally intended. I have never used mixed media before and thought it would be fun to do so. I made three "quotes":
Did you think I love you because I said I did?
Authenticity is in the eye of the beholder.
If you think this gift is free, you are wrong.
I put them on the board after I had prepared the substrate in places with gesso mixed with pumice for texture and laid out the basic design. Then I worked the color schemes for the regions of the board. Because it is abstract, I turned the board counterclockwise every once in a while to help achieve balance in my painting. (As you can see from the below, I am thinking that it needs to upside down from whence I originally began.) Because the quotes would need to be legible and therefore might be too obvious (due to the white), I needed to have a dramatic focus for the painting and for it to have a movement that would help distract from the white and compliment rather than compete with the quotes. I hope you think I am achieving this because I am nearly finished. Let me know what you think!
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