New Work and Another Idea!

During The Storm
12" x 16" acrylic on wc paper

I worked on the above piece early last week. The image is derived from a set of paper sketches that I did last month. I got a little crossed on my color ideas. I had a plan in mind but I also had the image of the paper sketch that I had done. As so often happens, I get a little confused about my original goal. In this case I am fine with things because I used a color and some mixes that I don't normally use and so I feel like I learned a few things.

Currently I am working on another piece that is similar in concept to this one I did earlier this month. I worked out the design last weekend and earlier this week. Rather than doing a complete drawing I worked from some little sketches done while out and about last week. I also worked from my written impressions. I began things by selecting some colors and by placing the largest areas of color first. After that I went on to smaller shapes and then some final details. It was very much like putting a puzzle together and in fact I actually worked the thing like a traditional puzzle, walking by my easel and paper at times and adding and subtracting pieces, trying things out to see if they fit. Guess those puzzles I did when I was a kid paid off! I won't say what the piece is about just yet but for anyone of my age group, or anyone else who might want to know, here is a little video from our collective youth.

I also want to pass along something that has been helping me both personally and in my art life. If anyone reading is like me, getting stuck in a rut is sort of a fact of life. Routines can be very helpful and rules provide predictable outcomes, which can be comforting. (If you haven't guessed already I like structure!) There are times though when outside-the-box thinking is required. Lately I have been asking myself a two-pronged set of questions: What if...? and Then what...? Here is an example. I started with the fact that I worry about running out of mixtures once I start painting. I mix my colors from the 3 primaries, mixing what I think is enough to cover a sheet or two of paper. What if I run out? It's hard to remix that exact same color again. (My work is limited to a few shapes with their inherent values and chroma so stuff like this stands out.) This problem has stifled me many times, causing a little anxiety in getting going. Here is the set of questions I asked myself. What if I don't mix up enough paint of that hue and value? OK, what about it? Then in that case, what if I mixed additional paint in the same value but with a slight temperature shift? Can I accept this? The value is the same, the chroma is the same but I have shifted temperature. No big deal. I wouldn't have thought of this because my routine is to mix just that one color. I have been lucky so far and haven't run out. But what if I did? I have used this type of questioning in other areas including making judgments about people, doing unfamiliar things, and discovering different ways of looking at the world. Give it a try. I can guarantee that you will come to love it!

OK, no studio tour for me this weekend. I mentioned that in a mid month newsletter. I am continuing to work on the new piece that I mentioned above. Our weather has been glorious and I couldn't be happier. There is a lot less smoke in the air and I have been able to resume my walks. I even went for a small hike on Tuesday! Good stuff.

Hope everyone is having a good week. Thanks for reading and commenting.

Libby