Thursday, February 23, 2012

Bird in Hand


Bird in hand.
Originally uploaded by michele_maule

I worked on this painting for 3 hours today.

It was one of those painting sessions in which my sense of time was completely out the window. The right side of my brain was fully engaged and extremely happy.

I like where this is going. It reminds me of some of my very early work. I don't know why I stopped painting in this style.

I think a lot of it had to do with selling on Etsy. I felt like my work had to be more colorful, more cute and more marketable. I love the work that I've done in the past, but sometimes I feel like I'm not painting for myself 100%. Maybe 98%.

I kept telling myself, while working today, that,"Maybe I won't list this on Etsy. Maybe I won't sell this at all. Right now I'm having fun and I'm not worrying about anything else right now."

It was a bit freeing.

This painting is also much bigger than I typically work. It's 2x2' and I think that in itself is much more freeing. I'm not confined to a 5x5" panel. I can make larger brush strokes and I can make more mistakes, and it's not as noticeable.

I feel good about the work I today, and it is such a wonderful feeling.

4 comments:

LittleCanoe said...

It looks wonderful! I can't wait to see what happens next!

nacherluver said...

Bravo all around

Heather Kirtland said...

Fantastic!!'

Alisha said...

I love that feeling you're talking about. I know it well. But damn, selling art can sure take the joy and freedom from it. Not always, but it's hard to really let art flow from your soul when in the back of your mind, you're also wanting to make money from it. That's a struggle I'm having right now anyway. I've even been thinking of doing something crazy like taking a one year break from art selling.