The Clean Up

After a heavy painting session there is a mess.  Creating art is often not neat.  Tools are everywhere.  There will be a pile of brushings.  Pencils are strung across the board.  Then there comes moment when things I need start disappearing.  Paint wheels are not organize, but are just stack, and ready to tumble to the floor with one wrong move. 

There is so much going when creating.  I often move and keep moving.  Once the flow is going I do not want to stop.

In the morning it is ritual to clean up, and put every thing in it's place on my art table.  Organization returns.  You can imagine how that makes the day's work easier.  I know longer have to dig around for what I need or just find something else that will do the job.

I am very intentional with my work, especially in the beginning.  As a piece has a strong beginning I get more experimental then everything flies.

The ritual serves me well.  The time I spend cleaning and organizing clears up the cobwebs and is calming.  When I finally sit down to the work at hand I look at it with fresh eyes,  and start planning what I need to do next. 

I often have several pieces going.  When I change paintings during the day I go through the same cleaning process.

When working on one painting for an extended period of time,  I am often dissatisfied with it.  I can get to a place of real dislike.  Paintings have been put in the closet for a few weeks or even years.  When I pull them out they don't look so bad.  I often can decide just what a painting needs, when I was clueless earlier.

Some work really needs to be finished.  I am not a fan of finishing paintings.  The finishing process often brings on anxiety within me.  Flipping from on painting to the other can elevate the painting exhaustion I get.  Pressure feels reduced with the thought that I can lay this down for now, if only for a few hours.  I will often formulate what I need to do next when working and the alternative painting.

I work at knowing myself.  I don't beat myself up with my quirks and kinks.  I just sort of trick myself into overriding them.  You can really be your worst enemy.   I guess I have learned to be my own, kind loving gentle teacher. 

Pier

The Naples pier was has a history with this community.  Now it is a gathering place.  Fishermen come at all times of day to fish.  No license is needed to fish off the pier.  At sunset the end of the pier loads up with people to watch the sunset. 

This subject is much too intricate for just a day painting .  The perspective is off or maybe more of the pier has to be shown to make sense.  I experimented a lot in using rich colors to set the scene.  I will definitely visit this one again.

My last painting will have to be tomorrow.  I have started a self portrait.  I am reluctant to paint.  I have so many other things to do, but I am pressing on to finish the 30 paintings.  I have not made it easy on my self with the subjects I have chosen, but I love the challenge. 

This will be the first time I have finished the thirty days.  Several of the last couple times I attempted this, I fell away within a few days.  Life just got in the way.  Not there yet but I have almost made it.  Unless I rebel you will see my last painting of this series tomorrow.