Busy schedule

I have been going out with the Thursday painters each week for about a month or more. It has really put pressure on my schedule. I paint with Margot on Wednesdays, en plein air on Thursdays, and with Sonny on Sundays. I can tell that I am gaining confidence as a painter. The more I learn the more I realize I have to learn.

I am fortunate that Margot and Sonny are like minded. I don't feel a conflict between their styles or their instruction. That said, they give different feedback on the same painting. It helps me realize something is wrong, and there are choices about how to fix it. I rarely ask for critique from both of them on the same painting. Margot does landscapes, and Sonny does still life and portraits.

I will photograph my plein air pieces to have a record of them. It is too late and dark outside to do that now. None of them is a finished painting. As Laura Wamsgans told me, it's like going to the gym. The goal is exercise not a performance. Chuck Kovacik manages to cover his canvas with conviction. It looks like he is aiming for a finished piece in the two/three hour painting time. He's a great resource and role model.

I'm also reading, reading, reading. Margaret Kessler, Chris Saper, Gregg Kreutz, Richard Scott, and of course, John Carlson. Some of it sticks in my head and some of it looks brand new the next time I look at the book! Richard Scott is doing a demo nearby in a couple of weeks. I look forward to meeting him. It turns out he is neighbors with one of Margot's other students.

It's daunting to realize that artists can't really be known until they publish and/or start teaching. Back to teaching! Maybe I need to publish my drawing book for the elementary classroom. Just like when I was writing that material, I'm too busy to put it all together!