From one extreme to another. Day 21 was too light. Day 22 is too dark. Tomorrow’s piece oughta be just right. This is a totem pole cactus. They are lumpy and bumpy. They are smooth, no spines. I simplified the shapes. I may go back and add a few shadows to indicate lumps. I might also wash out some of the heavy colors in today’s background. It does remind me of the intense desert heat. I guess I should call it a work in progress. Opinions are always welcome. 🙂
I revised Yesterday’s painting. I like it much better now.
I have to admit, I have had a hard time getting started each day. Seems I think about what to paint, longer than it takes for me to actually paint. Haha. Indecision. Not procrastination. I have a folder full of images, cacti, that I would like to paint. I just have a hard time deciding.
I guess that’s not a bad problem to have. I would like to start earlier. And finish before midnight. Tonight I set a goal for myself. To complete the piece in 2 hours. I wasn’t sure I could. I haven’t been timing myself. I stop for breaks and get distracted. Sometimes. But I sat down to work and didn’t stop until I was done. I had 2 minutes to spare.
Did you know cactus spines are actually highly modified leaves? This helps to prevent water loss from the surface of a leaf. The spines can also provide shade for the cactus and reduce airflow around the plant.
I know quite certainly that I myself have no special talent; curiosity, obsession, and dogged endurance, combined with self-criticism have brought me to my ideas. Albert Einstein
Endurance is not just the ability to bear a hard thing, but to turn it into glory. William Barclay
I love how the sky turned out. This is the inexpensive paper I bought from Hobby Lobby. This time, the texture is really noticeable. Love it! The key is using a sedimentary color.
A work in progress. I think. I need to add shadows. And the sand feels too… something. Too orange, too red, too busy. Too hot. Scottsdale was extremely hot the day I took this photo. And what are those rocky shapes along the edge?? And why does the sky have horns? Haha!
Still, I would say that I am happy with this piece. I had fun working on it.
I haven’t found a name for this plant. I think it is an Octopus Agave. It looks like a giant air plant. Most of the Octopus Agaves grow out from the center. This one was shaped more like a mohawk.
I want to paint this again. I used the photo as a reference for the shapes, but for some reason, I didn’t use it for the light.
Day 19 Reference Photo, SMD
‘The Creative Habit’ is basically about how you work alone, how you survive as a solitary artist. ‘The Collaborative Habit’ is obviously about surviving with other people. Twyla Tharp
