There are times when I take long breaks from painting and
other times when I am creating daily. I find it is best when I avoid long breaks because I am less distracted.
If you are a creator, I am positive you can relate to what I am saying.
So recently my brain has
been blank; this led to a month of me not doing much of anything.
This might have been good because I completed my garden book and have also been busy working in the garden. But in the mix of
all that activity I have been smelling pine in the air.
The scent of fresh pine travels in cooler temperatures, especially when the wind is present and I love it.
So, last week, I decided to embrace these beautiful trees.
I hit several roadblocks due to being distracted...
The good thing is, I did not stop because I needed to let these impressions
surface.
The Pallet
Everything had to begin with the right color pallet and honestly
sometimes mixing your own shades of green is the best way to replicate
nature. My pallet was simple and
consisted of four main colors.
- Green – Cadmium Yellow, Cobalt Blue and a tad of Paynes Gray
- Brown – Burnt Umber and Paynes Gray
At times I let these colors blend and then I did a little splatter with Alizarin Crimson. I was beginning to get my vibe back and then the weekend came.
Days later I spent another afternoon painting feeling less than thrilled
with my results. I could sense that
something was holding me back.
So, I stepped away and looked at what I had painted. I could see the struggles and knew that painting through December would be a continuation of pine cones.
Sometimes you just have to keep trying especially when the color pallet captivates the desire to keep going. Additional walk in nature might be required and eventually I am pretty sure my ideas will unravel.
Never stop trying because if you have the desire the rest will come in time.
Encouraging goodness,
Carole West