Anticipation Frustration

I literally had placed the second brushstroke on a canvas, when life butted its head into my plans for the day.  There was no workaround except to accept and let go of art until tomorrow.  But, all day I felt anticipation frustration. There are times when I don't know what to paint, or how to paint or even why I want to paint.  I find myself doing anything but paint.  I've been known to count chocolate chips.  Those days have a pain all their own.  But today I was bursting to go hammer and tongs to work through some paintings with issues.  Design issues.  I felt the frustration of not painting ... all ... day ... long.  I wanted to kick life in the teeth.  I will paint tomorrow.  The flame is still burning.

Studio Day

My plans for the day are to work with my plein air sketches and sketchbook and develop comps for larger paintings.  It is a learning experience to find a rhythm between information gathering (plein air, comps) and painting creation.  There are so many more ideas than time to create paintings.

Yesterday, while driving to an appointment, I saw a beautiful cloud formation of flat topped, mushrooming cloud columns, behind the hills.  No camera.  No time.  An hour later on the way home the clouds had dissipated. Plein air is the practice of opportunity.  Always be prepared.

This morning was the fifth day in a row of "June gloom", so I've had no chance to go back to the Plateau for the morning light.  Every night I'm packed and ready to go.  Sooner or later ...