Eating Peaches

I got some more done tonight. I worked on the sky, and the mountains. It’s good to get back into the rhythm of painting, but I realize as I work that I still paint the exact same way as I always did. I don’t know if that’s good or bad, but somewhere along the journey I hope to break into a new style or work on new techniques. I also realized that an 18″x24″ painting might be a little overly ambitious for a weekly painting, but I’m using up the canvas stock I have.

Off to bed…

The clouds
Never expect it
When it rains
But the sea
Changes colours
But the sea
Does not change

I’ll admit it, I do love Stevie Nicks. Especially Edge of Seventeen, which is a great song. A bit of a rip off (check out how they both start) of Bring On The Night, by The Police (one of my all time favorite bands), but still a nice ethereal song.

What does any of this have to do with this post? Well, the phrase hauntingly familiar is from Edge of Seventeen, and came to mind when I ran across this amazing work by Erin Tyner. Her work reminds me of pieces I did in college. Not the same look at all, but kind of the same feel – one figure against nature. Hope you enjoy these as much as I do.

What did we ever do before the Internet? I sometimes feel when I’m surfing like the way I used to as a kid in the library, or how I still get in a good bookstore today. I get lost in other worlds, and am surprised to find how much time has passed while browsing/surfing, etc. It’s a nice escape.

Ok – not really done. But I did work on it tonight. Laid out some basic color, just to get going. It’s on an 18″ by 24″ canvas. More work to do…

I am back to one of my classic struggles – what to paint. I go back and forth between what I think would sell/appeal to a buyer (although I don’t know why I’m concerned with that at this point), and what I really want to paint. Problem is, at times I’m not even sure what I want to paint. Maybe this is a subconscious link to one of my other problems I think I have…a fear of success. Or maybe it’s a bit of self-doubt thrown in. Interestingly, I ran across this post today about conquering self-doubt.

Fear of success seems kind of silly, when you think about it. Who wouldn’t want to be successful? I want to be a successful artist. But then why don’t I do it? Some of the self-help therapies suggest that fear of success might really be a fear of failure. Perhaps that’s what it is in a nutshell. Maybe I’m subconsciously afraid that if I try to become an artist, I might fail. And then it was all for naught…so why bother getting started in the first place? I think this might be the root of it all.

This sounds familiar…(especially #3)

Signs of Fear of Success and Self-Sabotage
How do you know if you’re afraid of success? Some possible signs of self-sabotage are:

3. All talk, no action. Sometimes certain behaviors look like laziness, but they reveal a fear of success. For instance, you may talk about your life dreams and goals all the time, but you watch TV every night and surf the Internet for hours every day. You never actually take practical steps or exert self-discipline to move in the direction of your goals.

Ok, enough of the self-analyzation…it’s time to paint! Tonight is the night.

But what am I going to paint?

Tonight is the night I am supposed to start painting. It is so, so very tempting to not start painting – I must admit. We just got back from a very long, fun, yet tiring trip. 2600+ miles by trip’s end – from Colorado to Iowa, then on to Michigan, and then back to Colorado. Our van’s transmission decided to give up the ghost 350 miles from home – in Lexington, Nebraska. Lexington is home to some of the most god awful smells you’ll ever encounter, due to a huge Tyson chicken processing plant, and various other meat processing plants I’m assuming. Also home to the wonderful Plum Creek Motors, who correctly diagnosed the need for a new transmission, but also informed us we could still drive it home. Big shout out to our service techs Oscar Cabellos and Vern Worm (his real name). Luckily we were able to drive the rest of the way home in third gear, not driving above 60 mph.

And the main reason to not start tonight….the Iowa Hawkeyes playing in the Orange Bowl, which they just won!! Most excellent evening…I’ll start tomorrow.

I promise.

Gold Two: [the Y-wings are running the gauntlet toward the Death Star reactor-port] The guns – they’ve stopped!
Gold Five: [realizes why] Stabilize your rear deflectors… Watch for enemy fighters.
Gold Leader: They’re coming in! Three marks at 2-10!
[Gold Two is slain by Darth Vader and his wingmen; Gold Leader starts to panic]
Gold Leader: It’s no good, I can’t maneuver!
Gold Five: Stay on target.
Gold Leader: *We’re too close!*
Gold Five: Stay on target!
Gold Leader: [shouts] Loosen up!
[he too is picked off by Vader and Company; Gold Five tries to escape but is fatally winged]
Gold Five: Gold Five to Red leader, lost Tiree, lost Dutch.
Red Leader: I copy, Gold Leader.
Gold Five: It came from… behind!
[crashes]

Of course this is from Star Wars – A New Hope. But applicable, since it is now the New Year, 2010, and the project is set to begin. I’m a good 1200+ miles from my paints and studio right now, but headed toward home tomorrow. Should be home Monday night, and ready to start Painting #1 Tuesday night.

I like this picture almost as well as the first.