Setting up a new still life is always harder for me than actually painting it! Yesterday was just a series of fits & starts. I went through 3 different size canvases, trying to draw things in, and nothing seemed to look right. Finally I plopped down on a chair with a cup of coffee (my salvation at 2 PM!) and right away I saw a much more pleasing arrangement. OY!
So today I got a “real” start on this. Got it all drawn in and then went over almost the entire surface with white and gray, establishing the “mountains and valleys”. I’ve learned to use Liquin to help things dry quicker. I’m so impatient! Having the “mountains and valleys” all set makes it a helluva lot easier to paint in the fabric designs! I didn’t always know that trick. It used to be a hellish experience, trying to paint in patterns and smearing everything together. When I finally figured out the trick to it, I thought I’m not going to tell anybody! It would be my secret, brilliant trick. Ah, but then I realized I was probably the LAST artist out there to figure this out!
The sun is predicted to make an appearance this weekend, and all we artists are just about hyperventilating with excitement! If it does turn sunny, this painting will just have to sit – and dry – while I scamper out into the countryside to do some plein air landscapes!
Margie Guyot Art 