8″x8″ oil on gessoboard-SOLD

Here’s a bit of an insight into my painting process.
Most days I get up raring to get to the easel. Some days……I don’t. Today was such a day. I’m tired, it’s a public holiday, the sun is shining, a great day to sit by the pool AND I’ve got a good book on the go. Does it really matter if I don’t paint these plums?! I spend a lot of time procrastinating inbetween mark-making; making tea, on FB, checking emails, hanging out washing, writing extended posts (!).
However, a day such as this is a good day to push. I’ve started out in a lacksadasical manner, not quite bothering with a clean palette nor mixing colours in advance, breaking all my rules and generally heading for self-induced dissapointment.
The reason I paint each morning can be any one of the following (or all sometimes). 1. As a warm-up, like in a gym class. 2. To explore something I discovered about tones/colours in the last paintng. 3. Just to ‘churn one out’ to honour my pledge or I need work to show (not to be recommended). 4. To try a little something new in composition or method.
Number four rarely happens. I get caught up in my usual format and before you know it, it’s done and I haven’t remembered whatever it was I wanted to change. Then I feel as though I’ve lost a day even if I like the result. So, as you probably know I have a real thing about chipped paint and torn wallpaper which often makes its way into larger paintings. I haven’t ever done layers of old wallpaper though which is what interests me so I tried it out today. Not an entirely wasted day – it’s a start. Constructive criticism welcome.