Off the beaten path

This is the first of five paintings done for the final exercise of my painting class this past week.

Our instructions were to choose paint in 3 colors, black and white, and to use pencil, pen, charcoal, oil pastel, collage, brushes, and other tools in a specified order to create a piece.

This one differs from the other four in that it was done on canvas, over a do-over painting that never amounted to anything other than shades of gold and gray. The other four were done on blank gray and white backgrounds.

It was a very fun project to do because it took almost no thought to implement. I could choose whatever colors I wanted and place them wherever I liked on the canvas; the only restriction was that I needed to execute all the steps, use all the tools, and do it in the right order -- which almost completely circumvented the dreaded Okay-what-do-I-do-now syndrome, but also kept me from getting too caught up in one kind of stroke, tool, or color.

I think I can get into a zone and just do the repetitive thing -- as exemplified by all the swirly strokes in the background of this painting -- which is fine until it becomes important to break away.

... Which explains, perhaps, why I'm willing to close up my studio and move to a new one, even though it's a bit smaller and less convenient. It feels like I've been trapped in a repetitive pattern here, banging my head against a brick wall -- or maybe it's a glass ceiling -- forever with little effect. Time to try something new, to take steps, to turn things upside down a bit and look at life from a new angle. I keep hoping that Covid and all the BLM protests will have the same effect; to teach us that the old ways just aren't working, and it's time to try something new. It could be scary -- change often is -- and the transitions may well prove extremely trying. But it's time, past time, to pay the piper and move on.

Tons of work ahead in order to get there, but it's good work, and will pay well in the long run. Time to get on with it!