As today's daily developed, the palm in its environment seemed to be out of its element, uncomfortable with its surroundings. It wouldn't settle in, and wouldn't be forced into a more normal mode. The colors fought me. As I painted, I decided to let the painting go its own way, and began to think about what it means to be out of ones element.We've all been there. Sometimes we're been required to do things that we're just not used to doing. We're asked to do things that are different for us, hard for us, not usual for us, or stretching our limits. When you're forced out of your element, you have two choices, to grow or to retreat. Which do you choose?
The studio is clean, painted, and ready for work.
I'm laughing at myself, though, as I post this photo, because after my hard work the studio still has everything it had it in, and here it looks almost as bad as last week! But yes, it's clean, it's fresh, and there's just a little more organization. There's also more room for the guests who will have to sleep in here when we pile in family and friends for a wedding in a couple of weeks!
4 comments:
Jo-Ann - so nice to turn on my computer and find you there - just when I was feeling out of my element - Working this morning on a painting I started in your class - I would like to give it to our son for his Birthday because he loves the Everglades. I am set up and ready - looking for my first move. Your studio looks terrific!!! Enjoy - gail
Hi, Gail. I'm sure the painting will be delightful! Hope you'll post it on the student's blog for us all to see!
The singular stance of that palm looks like it surely did have a mind of its' own.
Your colors always soothe and pull me right in.
When you paint in your studio and look around at all your work that surrounds you, do you ever look and wonder about how you did a particular painting?
Some days when I feel like I've lost it, I'll look at previous work and have no idea how it got to it's finished state without my slashing it or at the least, whiting it over with Gesso fit for suffocation levels.
Just curious.........
OH, yes! I'm not much of a slasher myself, but I've suffocated a few paintings wiht great satisfaction! Robert Henri says "a great painter will know a great deal about how he did it, but still he will say "how did I do it?"
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