Bonnie's Blog #3: Slow and Steady Wins the Race

 Doing these colossal paintings is sort of like getting in the car in New York City and driving to San Francisco, without a road map.  You have your own instincts and intuition to rely on, and that's about it.  Oh, and be there in less than a week.  Now, I've had way more time than this to produce these two paintings, but it is lapsing to the equivalent of what seems like a week.  There are days I sit in my painting chair for 10 hours straight, with only a few short eat/bathroom breaks, and look at one of the paintings at the end of the day and hardly notice what I accomplished!  Yet - both are starting to take shape nicely, and the excitement is building!

After both 'foundation layers' for each painting were complete (remember, this is painting the frame and structure of each painting in one color - Burnt Umber, to establish the structure, type and confirmation of each animal) my work in color began.  This is way more exciting, and you begin to see the animal come to life.  My job is to paint these animals to at least 50% or more completion, and then we will have another committee evaluation.  It is the 'best' and 'worst' part of this project.  You must have critique and direction to make improvements and achieve the very best possible work, but it is also worrisome preparing to enter the 'critique chamber' as you are nervous that your work may be a 'fail.'   Be assured however, all opinions and comments are helpful and necessary to be sure the end results produce two spectacular paintings!  In my next blog - I will talk about the actual progress of the paintings.

Back to work.............

Bonnie