Hope's Art Journey

Usually I tie up loose ends and evaluate the last year in my art career after New Year's.    This year, I was at an impasse on my latest start on a painting.  I had gessoed a painting I did not like nor want to revise.  In the process, using the new Utrecht gesso, I really screwed up the surface.  I did not apply the gesso in thin enough layers so I had brush marks.  I then coated the surface with yellow ochre as I have been doing for years.  I bought a liquid version of the ochre thinking it would be easier to thin down.  It was so slick that the paint would not adhere.  

So much for shortcuts.  After painting for a few hours, I decided I did not want to fight the surface.  So, I sanded the surface and re gessoed in thin watered down layers and sanded each layer lightly.  Then, I used a thinned yellow ochre from the tube.  It still was not perfect but at least the paint would stick.  Part of the problem is that this is a subtle sky and water painting.  The surface is very important.  Next, I stretched some canvasses with raw canvas.  I primed them with acrylic primer (house paint) and gessoed them in thin layers.  The surface is perfect.  One of the reasons I'm doing this is to save time for myself and to be certain I can help any other artist if I teach a workshop.  Acrylic painting can be done a lot of ways but consistency is always a good idea when preparing a body of work.

The next thing that bothered me was all the little yellow pads with notes from everything to frames on hand to canvas sizes and lists of things to do.  I have been researching galleries and artists for when I start my gallery.  I got a folder with pockets in it and filed my notes.  One is for places to go to photograph nature scenes, one is for business cards and artist notes to see who I will want to invite to show in my gallery.  I have ideas for wall paint, furniture and business aides that other shops have used that work for them (i.e. insurance companies, credit card machines, tax info).  It made me feel much better since I can stop looking for things written on those pads.  They are right at hand.  There will be much more, I'm sure.