I was talking with my husband over dinner last night. I was lamenting that I had sold my second painting but I was finding it hard to let it go. He said, “Well you can always do another like it.”
But really can you? For instance, when I painted “A Jury of your Pyrs.”
I was watching an old British TV show called Silk, learning about the British Court system and inspired by the pun, “A Jury of Your Pyrs.” Would I have the enthusiasm to do it all over with as much interest and attention to detail? I don’t think so.
Another thing that moves on is abilities and techniques.
I love the image of a Great Pyrenees Mountain Dog happily rolling in the freshly fallen snow. Such joy! So I did paint one canvas to portray this about a year ago.
Snow kept falling and I kept learning and painting. I painted may other subjects and then returned to the same concept again.
I find that how you view a concept and how you attack it changes. Below is this year’s take on the same concept. I’ve refined my brush strokes. I still have problems with perspective. But it is a “finer” image. Could I return and to the first over again, and if I could, would I want to?
Perhaps I should paint a Pyr making a snow angel every year, just as a record of how my abilities and outlook change.
Part of what I love about painting is the exploration of different styles and topics. I don’t think I made a post about my chaos paintings where you just paint as the spirit moves you and go back the next day and try to refine shapes you see into images?
- Dance to the Music
These two images are done on canvas paper and are very free and spontaneous. Interestingly enough, the Mermaids below were actually purchased from my Etsy shop, also called “My Muse Calls“. So the first painting I sold was of mermaids and not a Pyr. As usual, an unexpected turn!
I’ve recently discovered the visionary artwork of Alex Grey and much to my delight he has a center where he holds what he calls “Art Church” and workshops only 30 minutes from my home. I’m going to take a workshop he and his staff offer on visionary painting this summer.
The road twists and turns and keeps taking me new and interesting places. I don’t really want to do another painting exactly the same. And I shouldn’t lament if I am able to sell a painting. I can use the money to buy more art supplies. And the person who buys it hopefully will be cheered on daily basis by having it around. The more I travel down this road, the more doors seem to open and the more interesting the sights become.
