Wowzers, is it July already? I am half way through my 48 paintings challenge! I really wasn't sure how well I'd be able to stick to my goal but I'm very proud to say I'm at exactly 24 paintings so far.
One thing I've been doing more than any other year is painting over other unfinished works. The practical side of this is knowing I have a finite about of space in my studio. If I let enough unfinished works stack up it gets pretty crowded in there! But I also love the texture and history it gives my paintings. Layers and layers of color can be quite fun to work on top of.
It's been encouraging returning to old paintings that have felt 'stuck'. I'd get to a point where I didn't know what to do next, and would leave for fear of ruining the progress I had already made. Now that I've gained a few more skills over the years I'm able to problem solve in new ways. It may not always turn out the way I would like, but it turns out in one way or another.
I've been pushing myself a lot to try new ideas that I feel are out of my league. Making myself move forwards, trying, and failing, have all given me new confidence. Not necessarily about my painting skills, but about my perseverance. I've messed up a lot of good starts. I've pushed through too far and destroyed many things that were nearly done. But that's always the risk. I have to be willing to take those steps, be willing to possibly lose everything, because that's where you find the best stuff. Right past that line.
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