day #293 - Venustrap

Oh what a lovely headache. Piece "Paradise Birds"(day #279) is still floating around in the kitchen. It's too precious and fragile to attempt and pack it away like the rest pastel pieces; I used too much pastel and there is a strong 3D effect only retained by the pressure I put while leaving the marks. I gave up putting it away. I can't; The search led me to places looking for varnishes, frames with glass panels... It all stops at the acid-free, anti-static, pH-neutrality. Those archival materials that seems to be so hard to get by. And I'm a freak for archiving stuff, I hate the idea of things degrading over time. And yet my inexperience is bound to cause all kinds of mishaps. So here we are.
And yet, I went once again in the balcony, picked up my pastels, and started working on the next piece with bold strokes. I so liked today's foray into the forest. It was a delight on so many levels! Pretty much the epitomy of my aspiration for artistic creation: This kind of aweinspiring excursions, the feeling that you are partaking in an unfolding that is bigger than you.
The dynamicism of the strokes, the colors, the fluidity, the themes that seem so intimate to me and yet new every time! I love it all! Can't wait to see where this piece goes on its next session. This is another piece created with the same fragility like the Paradise Birds. If the energy keeps taking me in that direction, this will cause me lots of issues, storage issues for a start.
I had a discussion with a friend and concluded that I might have very good results with Oil Sticks that cure over time; immensly more expensive, but it's a funny thing; no long ago, I would consider spending 1€ per painting attempt an expensive "risk" and now I'm considering 20€ in materials per effort as something acceptable. This is a sign of self-worth blooming (and living beyond one's means as my mother would add).
I spend these last few hours trembling with excitement over the possibilities that the new materials might offer me! This is not something I often experience. Still I decided that it's not something I can invest in since I don't have the space to work in such a manner, but soon, I might.
To wrap up (so that I can get on with my night-routine): I had a blast working on this piece and can't wait to resume it. I'm witnessing with satisfaction my willingness to spend more money in my art as a sign that I'm investing and trusting it more. And I can appreciate the excitement in the prospect of trying new more tactile and gestural materials and perhaps going bigger too!! Bigger pieces with pastels would of course require longer days; or me getting up earlier to catch more light. I'd say I feel excited and inspired!