oliver

After a weekend away from the easel, I felt a bit tired, and not full of confidence when I woke up this morning. When I paint I try to keep all the voices out of my head telling me why I'm much too tired today, or because I haven't painted in two days I've obviously forgotten everything I ever learned. Or that I'm crazy to get up so early in the morning to paint when I need sleep, and my time would be better spent doing the chores that piled up while I was away this weekend. 

So I started Oliver and wasn't happy with the direction. I drive my daughter to the bus stop each morning, which can be an interruption, but sometimes it's a much needed pause to think about my process. This morning that break was a good pause. I went back into my studio and wiped away a good portion of what I had painted. Changed my reference photo to black and white. Mixed up some new colors, and dove back in. Sometimes taking a pause is so, so important!

This original 6"x6" oil painting is available, unframed, for $95 here.

Here are a few work-in-progress photos of Oliver's evolution this morning...

    

My happy place!