Ellen #5

Oil on canvas

8.5"x11"

2015-05-21

This is an alla prima study from last night – maybe an hour total. Earlier in the evening I was having a chat with my business partner at HEGA about why some artists succeed (financially) and some don’t. And about whether or not it’s a good thing to tailor your output to be more palatable / sellable.

Anyway, all the talk made me realize that I need to stop being afraid to paint. To just get in there and do it. And make tons of mistakes and learn from them. Because that’s how you get to be a good painter (or any other type of artist).

This is all obvious stuff, and the doing is the hardest part.

Last night I just forced myself to get in there and try something. I was limited on time, which was a good thing. And in the end, a painting came to be. It’s not great or anything. But it’s a step toward becoming more comfortable with a brush.

And I learned that I really hate working small. It’s time to get some big canvases.