Category: I’m done

Don’t Prolong the Process

Peach at the Beach with Two Shells, 14×20 Watercolor
©2011 Dora Sislian Themelis

If I continue painting on this work I am going to trash it! I am done, done, done! Finished! Telios! C’est Finis! This was the end of the road for the peach at the beach.

I worked on this for the allotted twenty minutes today, let it dry, then started to dig in with some details. What a mistake that was. There is just so much I could do to show these items were sitting on the sand. How do you really make sand look like sand? It isn’t easy, and things could get dicey. Again.

I am done with this! Yeah!

Using a really small brush, I began to paint in some dark shadows in the sand and that’s where the trouble started. I had to stop myself before ruining this painting.

Overall, the result of the process came off as I wanted it to. The peach pops, as well as the shells. Eh, the sand shadows are passable. It just had to be over. I didn’t want to prolong the torture any longer.

As soon as this is completely dry I am going to free it from the watercolor block and put it away. #37 in the 100 paintings challenge is finished.

Next!

The Rush of Something New

It feels so good to have the day all to myself today.  Yesterday is over and today is a new day.  Tuesday is usually an errand day and I hope to get those chores finished early. 

When I removed the garden painting from the block it felt great.  In the book Walking in This World, by Julia Cameron, I read in one of the chapters to ‘Finish something’!
How does it feel to finish something?  I felt relief.  The act of closing the book on a work is very satisfying.  So satisfying that I get a rush of inspiration.  Maybe I felt that way because I was happy to be done with a piece I wasn’t thrilled with?  Whatever the reason, I became excited about the possibilities.

No sooner had I freed the painting from the watercolor block, I looked over the latest photos I’ve taken and chose one to sketch onto the brand spanking new paper. 

I decided to use the butterfly photo I took a couple of weeks ago or when ever that was.  I’d like to work it kind of sloppy, sort of abstract.  I might use the watercolor paint thick and heavy, throwing it on the paper, just to experiment with the medium.  I seem to be daydreaming lately about oil painting again. 
While reading through some of my favorite artists’ blogs I noticed one was doing what I had been thinking to do, which is paint on a small square-shaped canvas.  I was writing some random thoughts in the Morning Pages yesterday, yes I’m still doing that, and in the blink of an eye I was looking up at my surroundings thinking I should paint on a 4×4 canvas!  Just like that!  I thought to myself, ‘You have some weird Artist A.D.D. girl!’  One second I’m writing, the next I’m in LaLaLand and I didn’t know where I was or what I was doing.  I had to squeeze my eye lids shut to block out the blur! 
So anyway, that might be my next thing, and I didn’t even start this work!  I think I have to go back to oils.  Something in my head keeps pointing me there.  I’m going to have to obey the muse.  First I will start and finish this painting.  Let’s see where I go with it.
I’ll get back to you on it.

Two Words for Wednesday-Disappointed and Thankful

Yes, the words for Wednesday are Disappointed and Thankful.

First-Disappointed.  The arrangements I made with the Big Brothers organization were kind of a bust.  They were supposed to show up on Monday to take the items we carefully boxed and clearly labeled with B.B. so the driver knew what to take.  I arrived at the church around 10A.M. with the other ladies to clean up and organize the items.  I called the manager’s office and confirmed the pick-up with his secretary and tried to pin point the time of the truck’s arrival.  She said he’d be there between 1and 2 P.M.  I had to leave so I left my cell number with the church and told them to call with any problems.  I dusted myself off and went home happy to be done with my job.

Tuesday I planned a relaxing day.  Tuesday before noon I received a call from the church office that Big Brothers never made the pick-up and the basketball court needed to be empty and clean for the volunteer’s dinner later on in the evening! Yikes!  I called Big Bros. and ran to the church to see for myself.  When I arrived the caretaker told me the truck came, the driver took one of the 20 TVs, a couple of bags, a box and left because his truck was already half full with other stuff!  That was NOT supposed to happen!  I called B.B. again and spoke to the manager telling him I was not happy with their service.  They did this to us last year too, but I had decided to let them try again.  He said he spoke to the driver and that he did come, and picked up boxes outside the building, that they looked rifled with, and certain items like ironing boards were too big for their truck!  Well, he must have taken garbage because we stacked the boxes inside the building!  He then said he’d send the truck again later in the day.  I told the caretaker and he hurriedly said they would stack the boxes and items outside so the truck could just pick up. Fine.  I packed my own truck with whatever I thought they might not take and drove with all of it to the nearest Salvation Army.

Later in the afternoon I received a call from the B.B. manager saying they were able to pick up the boxes but the 20 TVs were no where.  So where did they go?  I’m thinking the caretaker didn’t feel like moving them and tossed them in the dumpster.  Who knows what else went in the dumpster!  You know what?  It was out of my hands by then, I did what I could.

Second word-Thankful.  You bet, I’m so thankful it’s over.