For month I have been agonizing over a painting. A good size piece, but I repeatedly labored over the postage stamp size portrait in the center of the canvas, only to wipe it complete off and start over again. Wipe it. Restart. Again and again! In an attempt to interrupt this frustrating, probably unhealthy, process I decided to just put the piece away and revisit my Line and Sky series.
The series has a smaller scale than I usually work at about 5 x 7", so I can easily take the pieces of un-streched linen and sketch directly from nature. Using only the initial sketches and my memory of the site, I finish each work by building up layers of paint, washes, and drawing. The images below are two recently finished pieces in the series.
And a third piece is in the initial sketch phase!
Even though they are small, the two works lifted the feeling of defeat that had been hovering over the studio. And, I am happy to say the painting that was giving so much grief is now in its final stages. I hope to post the finished work soon!