Mostly Cloudy

sold.

This is my second-to-last painting from the alpaca farm. I debated whether or not to post this one. I like it, but it seems very simple. I don't know. This is something I struggle with a lot - what to post and what not to post. I've been very surprised in the past at what gets a good reception, so I'm always second guessing my instinct. Often I have a particular goal in mind for a painting, and may not post it just because I didn't feel like I accomplished what I set out to do.

I have quite a hefty stack of paintings I didn't post, (this stack is from the past 6 months or so) and about three times as many that get wiped before they dry. I feel good about this stack because it means I'm trying stuff! I'm experimenting, and that means lots of failures along the way. I didn't always feel good about this stack. It took a lot of work to get to this point.

When I get a few minutes, (and some clean space in my studio), I'll take a few of these and prime them. Lately I've been using Gamblin Titanium White FastMatte for this, rather than oil gesso. It dries much faster, and I LOVE the surface for painting on. First I take the panels outside and scrape all the lumpy bits off with a palette knife. Then I simply take the tube of FastMatte, remove the lid, and dab little bits of the paint all over the panel. Then I dip my brush in Gamsol and wipe it all over the panel, smearing out the paint evenly. As soon as it's dry, I'm good to go!