A new approach to get more done.
While most artists can get something finished each day, it takes me up to a week or more sometimes to finish one of the acrylic or mixed media portraits that I have posted on this blog.
Easily distracted by the supplies in my art room, I want to try everything all at once, and I usually have several projects on the go, not all art related either.
Lately my fingers have been itching to knit something. I blame it on the cooler weather.
Sometimes I am too finicky and I keep playing with the piece until there are many layers of acrylic on the canvas. Through it all, I am still “doing it for the process”.
I am learning along the way and all experiments, no matter how much they might slow me down, are all worth the time it takes to finish them.
This week, I decided that working in a series of small canvases might make me more productive.
After all, I am using the same colours and techniques on all four canvases which should speed up the process, right? Well, that is my hope.
The small canvases are all prepared in much the same way with slight colour variations.
One of the canvases is brought further along in the process as I experiment with paints and brush sizes.
And now, there are three to be worked on in a somewhat similar way.
The series is getting closer to completion. I don't say that I will always work this way but painting in a series is worth it because:
- it is satisfying as more is accomplished in less time. The colours are selected and used in each painting in the series. No new colours are introduced until possibly the very end (I haven't really finished any of the portraits in the series so I don't know what will happen in the last stage).
- the same techniques are used for each canvas and hopefully perfected with each portrait.
- unity in all paintings is achieved and that in itself is a wonderful thing to see. A friend suggested that I might even have found my own illusive "style" in this series.
So the work continues. Stay tuned. And if you have any tips or tricks to get more paintings done, please let me know.
I love where you’re going with this Louise!! Working in a series is a great idea! ????
Thank you Lynda. My main concern has always been that I would get bored; however, I am willing to try anything and it’s not too painful a process on small canvases. Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment.