It's been hard today.
The painting from 2 days ago ended up under this painting I have started today.
Why.....
I shall tell.
I have been working on the previous painting for 2 days, in-between washing and rain showers... All was going OK.... ish.... until I started fiddling. If I could add a violin emoji I would!
Fiddle, fiddle fiddle .. changing this and that and not quite getting everything right.
Then it came to me... there was not enough contrast between my subjects and I was finding it really difficult with the changing weather, light and bringing the easel in and out between downpours.... I decided to "call it a day Em" and wiped my canvas clean.
This may sound a bit drastic.. all that work, paint, medium, hours.... but I knew it was not working. I think it is best to call it a day when the painting is not right. Wipe, clean.. start again.
I was so glad I did!...
As I was digging up my spuds in another part of the garden noticed how pretty the sweet peas where against the dark fence (as you can see in this pic my partner has been very busy painting the fence during the spring months... just a little brush up!).
That was the problem, not enough contrast! Darks lights and colour.....
I quickly washed the spuds filled the garden rubbish with the aftermath of spud planting and set to work... with tea in my hand.
At the back of the garden we have a lovely sitting area where I like to plant scented plants, so in the warm evenings...(maybe not this year)... the scent wafts as we enjoy a cuppa or a glass of something. The sweet peas have just started to flower, easel in hand and that cuppa I saw it! contrast, colour, power, wow factor, everything, everything I wanted and enjoy in a painting.
After deliberating over 2 and half days with whites, greys and browns this was a joy and only took me half an hour to paint.
It is not finished, but it will be. Sometimes I like to leave the oil to dry overnight before adding highlights and tidying up edges. I hope to finish this tomorrow weather permitting......
I am so glad I ditched the previous painting, I am now full of inspiration, confidence and looking forward to finishing it.
It can pay to wipe clean and start again... nothing shameful in that and in this case how very refreshing. Stepping back, doing something else, then coming back to it, can make you see it.
A little mention about my Pochade Box too - in love.
The best thing I have bought for a while including my tripod. Plein Air.... Oh yeah :)
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