Dancing with the paint

Another week nearly done. Not as much painting time as I would like, but I think that will be remedied next week. I did start work on a few new canvases (along with continuing work on others). 

Earlier in the week I had my second WARM interview. Phenomenal experience. The interview process alone has influenced my studio work. Talking about my work  with the potential mentors has helped me think about the direction I want to go with with my work. It has also influenced how I'm doing some of my work...encouraging me to experiment and play a bit more.


And so I did just that...this week I pulled out some watercolor paper and paints. My goal was to do some quick studies...to loosen up, explore colors, subject matter...When I first started painting (back in high school!), I did a lot of work with watercolors...not so much anymore, but I still like how it feels working with the paint so wet.

After doing a few watercolor studies, I pulled out an 18x36 canvas that I had prepared earlier with gray gesso (love that stuff!) Doing the previous work in watercolor had an impact on how I started things...I was using the paint on the canvas as if I was doing a watercolor...keeping the paint very fluid as I applied it to the canvas. (detail pic above, larger view below) 

For a little bit, I was in my painting zen state...loving how the paint was flowing on the canvas...I felt like I was channeling my inner Georgia O'Keefe. But in a flash, the moment was gone...reality shifted, and the paint just wasn't flowing as easily.


Painting is like that...sometimes it goes smoothly...and sometimes, it's hard work...it's a back and forth process really...the good mixed with the bad...a constant questioning of what to do, how things should look...and then sometimes it just happens...the brush leads the way.

I'm a long way from a finished painting with this one, but I'll keep dancing with the paint...and let the brush take the lead.