WorkLog

I've recommitted to painting daily and actively seeking to develope professionally so this week Ive set up the hospitals tilting table in the lounge to work on and have it so the paints are on a table to the right so I'm not doing more damage to my arms in anyway. I'm very short on canvas now and so its hard trying to work on a body of work that I am wanting to do specifically for the two exhibition coming up. Had intended to start reusing old canvases but did not have the heart to paint over something already done so instead ended up touching up the paintings instead - have reworked 'Pororae' as it had some marks on it due to how I'd stored it - it looks great now but does not really fit in with anything.

I'm finding it hard to be clearminded about what I want to work on for exhibition - I really need some work to sell as canvas has gone up so much in the shops - went to buy some yesterday and a $14 canvas is now over $20!

I think my greatest joy this week has been getting permisiion from the neighbours to sit on their lawn and paint their stunning magnolia tree. I've found it great for location work to take the oil paints and a plaette knife - no clean up really - been a bit of an exploration into thick impasto which is kind of strange to do - feels more like putting icing on a cake than doing a painting - worked on the magnolia tree for about an hour and a half.

Its a stunning tree with heavy cream and cerise blossoms atop a silvery-grey trunk. The big winds turned the grass at the foot of the tree into a veritable carpet of deliciously thick petals and i was so pleased I plucked up the courage to ask them if i could come over and paint it as today i notice most of the petals have gone and the tree is just not the same anymore.

I find there is a point in any work where I think 'Oh Lord, what complete rubbish!' but if I press on there comes another point where often it all suddenly falls into place and the painting tells you it's done.

At that point one really NEEDS to stop. Learn to listen to the painting. It will tell you when it's finished - there will be a sense of completeness about the work - then you know it's timeto stop.