The process of painting this abstract was interesting. I knew the colors that I wanted to use but other than that I kept it wide open regarding composition and design. I took it pretty slow – slow for me anyway, doing one step and then letting it sit for a day or two while I came up with ideas for the next step. This is my favorite way to work, not forcing or dictating the process but rather letting it evolve organically. Sometimes I get a little impatient, wishing that I had a clear vision of what to do, hence the name – Restless Intuition.

I didn’t have any specific plans in mind before starting other than the color palette.  This photo isn’t the greatest because it’s a pretty dark and dreary day here in Oregon. When it’s finished I’ll give it a name and take a photo in better light. What to call it?

UPDATE 1/23/12 – The painting is finished and the title is Restless Intuition. See it here.

I seem to paint better under pressure. At least that’s what I tell myself. My next show opens on Saturday, March 3 at Gallery 7, Seven Feathers Casino Resort. A lot of paintings have to be painted between now and then!

This year has not started out that great in the studio. I seem to have fallen into an indecisive slump. I’ve changed my mind waayyy too many times while painting lately. And the other day I tried to come up with a name for my upcoming show and I drove myself nuts. The funny part is that I had a dream where I thought of a great name but when I woke up I couldn’t remember it. Oh well, I’ve been here before and I know it’s only temporary. So far in 2012 I have one painting that I’m happy with and two others in progress.

Part of my trouble is that I’m indecisive about what would be best to put in the show. These paintings will be on display to a fairly conservative crowd and the marketer in me keeps thinking that I should play it safe with some nice, straightforward landscapes of local scenes. But the painter in me is in the mood to experiment and work purely abstractly. We will see who wins this little competition.

First is to paint more consistently. By that I mean that I want to paint more often (not paint the same way- how boring would that be?). Sometimes I will go for a week or two without picking up a brush which I know is not a good thing. Whenever I take a long break like that I can tell that it takes me awhile to get back in the groove. So my plan is to paint at least three times per week – a very achievable goal.

My second plan is to have more of my art online. Also pretty easy. I got a new camera for Christmas which will make photographing my art easier, or at least more fun now that I have a new toy! I realize that I’ve been really lazy about posting my new paintings. At my last reception someone mentioned that they hadn’t seen any new paintings online in a long time. No excuse for that. So I vow to post every new painting.

And finally I want to write and share more about my life as an artist. Being an artist is a two-fold role. First is the solo role of creating. Talk to any artist and they will tell you that a lot of time is spent alone planning, painting, thinking about a painting, looking at a painting, etc. But then comes the sharing part. Obviously I want to share my paintings with others. Ultimately they belong on someone’s wall other than my own. But recently I have realized the importance of sharing my thoughts and experiences as an artist – which includes the highs and lows, the doubts and the fears as well as the sheer joy of what I am fortunate enough to do. Dare I make a promise to write in my blog consistently? Okay, I’ll make it easy on myself – I will write a post at least twice a month.

That’s it, three specific goals put into writing. I’ll leave the anti-procrastination bit for next year.

I recently read “Man with a Blue Scarf” by Martin Gayford which describes Martin’s experience sitting for a portrait by the late Lucian Freud. Martin gives accounts of the conversations between him and Lucian during the seven months of sitting for the painting. It’s a fascinating glimpse into Lucian’s thought process, opinions and insights. My favorite quote from the book is a beautiful description of the life of an artist. If ever there were to be an oath required to cross the threshold into artist status, this quote should be it.

‘I always thought’, says LF, ‘that an artist’s was the hardest life of all’. Its rigour – not always apparent to an outside observer – is that an artist has to navigate forward into the unknown guided only by an internal sense of direction, keep up a set of standards which are imposed entirely from within, meanwhile maintaining faith that the task he or she has set him or herself is worth struggling constantly to achieve. This is all contrary to the notion of bohemian disorder.   -Man with a Blue Scarf, p. 130

I’ve been using the water miscible or water soluble oils for awhile now and I absolutely love them. I don’t use any thinner, mineral spirits or turpentine so there are no harmful fumes in my studio. The paints have a slight odor just like regular oil paints. My brushes clean up easily with soap and water. In fact I think it’s almost easier clean up than with acrylic because you don’t have to worry about the oil paint drying as quickly as acrylic paint does. I have tried both the Winsor Newton Artisan and the Holbein Duo Aqua. I like the Duo a bit better as it seems creamier but I can’t seem to find them in larger tubes so I mostly use the WN in the 200 ml tubes.