However, I am proud to say that today I finally got off my butt and did some real, actual work on my latest painting. One of my journals received a page of good, solid ideas and sketches, too. So maybe I’m getting myself back on track.
I say “one” of my journals, because I have several. Not because I’m that prolific, but because I’m absent-minded and I like to hoard things. Some of them are too big to take any where, some of them are too fancy to actually use (these are generally the ones I’ve received as gifts), and there is the whole selection of lined, unlined, grid-lined, spiral-bound, top-bound, covered, uncovered, fancy, plain and in-between journals and notebooks that litter this house. And yet, most of my sketches and doodles end up on the company notepads that hang out by my phone at work.
But, all that is totally beside the point.
I got a little carried away with yellow today. I’m currently working on an 18” x 36” gallery wrap canvas that is intended to receive a slightly abstract/impressionist autumn scene. I’m working in oils, for the first time in at least ten years. I’ve chosen the bright yellow leaf colors as the starting point, and plan on working my way through the oranges, reds, browns, greens and then into the dark trunks and undergrowth. Finally, I’ll go back and hit the brightest highlights before I call it quits. However, what I’ve ended up with is a canvas full of mostly very bright yellow. It’s rather imposing. I almost hate to move on to other colors and cover it up.
Also, I’d forgotten how good oil paints smell. I thought that the oiled wood of my floor easel was a nice smell, but the two smells together are heaven. (Okay, I’m weird. I’ve also been driving around with some pine shelves in the back of my car during the past few days of the warm spell we’ve been having, and enjoying that my car now smells like sawdust.)
So far, the cats have stayed out of the way. I don’t think they enjoy the smell nearly as much as I do.
