25 Painting Challenge - Day 6 - Painting 4 - November 6, 2014

"Sunflower Welcome" - Pastel - 5x7 - November 2014

 

25 Painting Challenge - Day 6  of the challenge is really day 12.   I'm discovering some things about myself.   First I may never become a daily painter but I have to give myself permission to be OK with that.    I have painted 28 paintings this year.   I have done 4 paintings in the first 12 days of the challenge.   I started "Sunflower Welcome" thinking it would be a quick study and found myself going back to it because I was not satisfied with the results.    Several days later....I finally return and rework and still am not satisfied.   But today I walk away and will file it in the later file.

 

What I've learned?    

1.   Resolve to paint more -  It's OK to not become the daily painter but I do need to push myself to paint most days.   The act of putting the pastel to the paper frequently does improve your skill - even when the results are not what you would like.

 

2.   Walk away from the painting -  I've discovered that I'm a one sitting painter.   I rarely am happy if I leave a painting on the easel and come back to it.   It always seems to leave me disappointed or I get stuck in the "get it right" mode.    I need to accept what I've done for the day and put it aside.   There are lots of other days of the year that I can get out my discarded paintings and decide if I want to rework them.    I can be more productive if I don't spend days languishing over an unsuccessful painting.    Remember the object of painting is to enjoy the experience.

 

3.   Keep on - Keeping on - When life gets hectic and I don't get to the easel or if something doesn't turn out as a would like I just have to keep on keeping on.   Get up and paint the next day.

 

21 paintings to go!!   Can't wait to see what the next few weeks produce.