A Post A Day

An artist I know has committed herself to completing a painting each day, and she has accomplished that for the past year. What great discipline and resolve she must have. While a loosely painted, simple and small painting would not be that time-consuming, and would certainly get the motor running in the right direction, I don't believe I can make that promise to myself at this time. I would like to do that, and possibly I need to "just do it", as Nike says, but at this point I will only commit to trying to post to my blog each day! My first step.
Right now I have on my schedule four commissioned portraits, an almost-complete 15' x 6' oil mural painted directly on the wall, a landscape drawing, and one hundred (100) unique Christmas balls (that's right - each different from the others), all of which must be completed by mid-December at the latest. As I write I am waiting for my printer to cough up the images I need as references for one of the commissions. I am thrilled to have all this work. (But I do long to paint a still life - any takers? Just not for Christmas!)
Painting portraits, figures, and still life subjects is really my passion, though landscapes do often inspire me. They also sell best off the gallery walls, so I do my share of them as well. Whatever I paint, though, I am passionate about painting from life, whether I set up objects for a still life, pose a model, or paint en plein aire (on location). Photos lie, flatten forms, diminish value contrasts, and are generally just not as inspirational as the real thing.
I teach drawing and painting and that, too, takes up a lot of my time. Next week, in fact, I am conducting a 5 day watercolor workshop for intermedaite to advanced students. My weekly painting classes, one for children and one for adults, will end soon and that will finish up my class and workshop schedule for this year. My 2007 schedule will come out soon and be posted on my website (www.pat-aube-gray.com).
The printer is completing its directed tasks, so I will turn my attention to a portrait. Until tomorrow...