Quality Time

I won't be hiring any models this winter. My studio has some heat issues so any private sessions with the nude will have to wait until spring. Nature has presented me with what is probably a needed break from the figure. To stay occupied and focused I am working on a life sized trompe loeil oil of a shirt. What appears simple at first glance is in fact quite complex.

Shirt, day two

My brush strokes the first couple of painting sessions were confident and energetic. But as the picture progressed I found myself becoming increasingly hesitant and deliberate. Without the urgency of a live model it is easy to settle into an uninspired comfort zone. Painting in this manner can be counterproductive and actually drain energy from a work.

Shirt, week two

The spirit with which one works transfers directly into the work. A short vibrant painting session is preferable to a long half-hearted one. This is an important distinction. At 63 I am keenly aware that the energy available for any given task is finite. I no longer have the perspective or advantage of youth where time is seemingly limitless and expended vigor is readily replenished.