"On the Vine"
oil painting
5 x 7"
Last weekend, my husband gave me a wonderful gift of time alone. I checked into a local hotel for two days and a night to be silent and think. I took along my laptop, many books, notebooks, some sketching and a couple of pairs of sweatpants. It was delicious.
During that time, I planned my goals for the upcoming year, broke them down into projects, wrote my mission statement, planned some directions for my work and just generally was able to focus on my work.
One of the goals I've decided upon is to go back to oil painting - not exclusively, I WILL continue with my colored pencil drawings - but as an addition to. Every Friday, barring schedule interruptions, I plan to paint. Painting and drawing for me are very, very different. I am very slow and methodical in the way I draw - it can take months for one drawing. However, the way I learned to paint was in school and from life; therefore, my style is very quick and loose. I like both ways of working.
Today was my first "painting" day and I was amazed that I could still ride that horse - albeit a bit rusty, but I wasn't too disappointed in what I produced. But I'll let you tell me what you think.
I decided to paint from a reference photo I was currently using for a colored pencil drawing on which I had spent a couple of hours. The painting took the same amount of time. The drawing isn't done; the painting is signed. You can see the results below.
It seems to me that it can be good for my growth as an artist to allow myself to explore, create and enjoy the process. I hope that doing both painting and drawing will complement each other and allow me to grow as an artist.
