Persistance pays

I have been in the studio quite a lot over the weekend. It is a good feeling, like coming home after a long journey, to be painting once more. I think sometimes the most difficult part is experiencing really magical days, which are often followed by days of frustration. Those frustrating days make it hard to paint again the next day, because they leave an imprint of dissatisfaction in your mind. Today was a frustrating day. One thing I have learned is that if you CAN resist the urge to quit after a hard day or two, good things will happen. Easier said than done, my friends. This is when a little optimism will really come in handy.

I am working on two different things, as usual. One thing I am working on is a new grouping of abstractions, based on my monotypes. I have been experimenting on different ways of achieving similar effects on canvas. I have about a dozen of these abstracts in the works right now. So far, I only have one that I am truly satisfied with. It is the painting you see at the beginning of this post. It looks much better in person, but part of the problem is that the oil paint is still quite wet, and therefore, shiny. I am particularly pleased with the colors in this one. I am finding it interesting that I am here, in the desert, and nearly all of my new abstract paintings are predominantly blue. Gee, do you think I am craving water???!!!??? I could always say the blue is SKY, and not water, but when you see the blue, you will know I am making that up.

The other thing I am working on is, of course, the figure. My other true love. I am not feeling totally satisfied with just the sessions I get once a week in a group, so I have decided to take advantage of the one model I always have - ME! There is something unique about painting yourself. So far, I am focusing on the torso, not the face. That will come, eventually. My goal is to paint between 3 and 5 of these little figure studies a week. So far, I have three. (One being the ugly painting I did today.) You probably won't get to see that one. Here is one from last week.

I read in "W" magazine about an artist named Thomas Nozkowski. It is an interesting article, and now I have found a new abstract artist to admire.