day #365 - the end of an era

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I thought I was on top of it; I had finished early and was looking for a movie to watch already 3 hours ago. And I don't know how time went by. A phonecall, some networking studying, some online shopping and here we are, already past the time for an early movie. Regardless, today is a special day. The blog is over! I finished 365 days of daily painting and recording it, whatever that means. A big part of the process I will have to keep doing mainly for myself. Perhaps taking daily photos of my work and saving it on some folder. This has provem useful many times when I trying to date a piece I've been working on. Also making a small diary of today's achievements. It's still useful. But this will be done for my eyes only. I also don't know if I will be continuing my obsessively daily painting. How would life be if I had days off? Now for example that I'm moving out and I have to daily chores that until now were completely taken care of, perhaps I'll allow my
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day #232 - New beginnings

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So here it is, I've finally decided to wrap up the last piece and start a new one, on big paper this time! Wrapping up was easy - I did some final (minor) additions, photographed, fixated and finally signed the piece.
Now, the new piece is a new world. I like the colors a lot on that one, though the quick photos that I take with my phone really mess it up (the paper is pink not white). I'm not very excited about what I've created overall, and I'm trying hard to like the disproportionate loose figures, but I also find it a good opportunity to come to terms with it all.
I now realize that my art has slowly become too precious to me: To the question "what prohibits me from wrapping up this not-so-nice new piece if I don't like it"; and starting something new in its stead, the answer to my surprise is that "nothing can go to waste". Sketchbook pieces, or pieces on the iPad can be thrown away, but big pieces of paper should be at the very least interesting. It's nice seeing this stressor with fresh eyes however. For now I'll take with me, the beauty of the new palette, the joy of trying a new working style and the realization that I'm immersed to this zero-waste frame of mind which doesn't help relaxed painting. Come to think about it, I've been very stressed the last few time I was painting outside and this I always attributed to having stuff to do afterwards. But now I have to ask myself whether this has instead to do a) with the sun sinking and b) the artwork being too precious. Food for thought.

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