Managing to Make Three Artworks in Three Months

Three artworks were created since the last post, two oils and an iPad work, and I learned some valuable lessons. 

It is fun and fast to make an iPad "painting" (P. A. Woman below), and the inspiration can be something like a photo of my Chinese dipping sauce. I learned that with my iPad art, the result is not necessarily what I had imagined, and it seems like they are all starting to look alike.

It is fun and fast to do a small impressionistic oil painting (Out of Darkness). This painting was inspired by my choreographer daughter's brave struggles, and it looks like what I feel when I think about those. I think other people don't like this painting much.

It is NOT fun and it is NOT fast to do a semi-realistic 18 x 24 oil painting! The main thing I learned from painting Joy is to never do anything like it again. It began to feel like WORK, and I dreaded working on it. At this stage in my learning about oil painting, going smaller and more impressionistic is better.

My friend Jessica's niece was christened, and she took a beautiful photo in the church. I saw her photo and said to myself, "That would make a great painting," and it would -- just not by me. I think the problem is what my friend Carrol said gave her difficulties -- I knew the people I was painting. Instead of going impressionistic, I ended up fussing about whether it looked like them. And with details and defining edges, my essential tremor just fouled me up! I learned valuable lessons, so this painting was a worthwhile experience. Now my problem is what to do with the darn thing -- it's really big and I don't think anyone wants it.

Joy

Out of Darkness

P. A. Woman