Day 23 of 30

The red tubes of paint didn't even see the light (okay, dark) of day for this painting. Which is why I kept it going, despite my doubts halfway through. As a result, it's a lot tighter than I had intended when I began. 

And although I'm not exactly thrilled with this one, it was a blessed relief not to be working with those cadmium reds last night.

I was tempted to break one of these three eggs, but upon reflection I reckoned that being tired and cracking eggs open might not be a wise thing to do.

But I got to thinking about what I've learned so far from this challenge, and I will pass along a few thoughts:

• Don't try to force it. A good painting is usually "easy" from the start. Within 20 minutes, I know if I have a keeper. I don't always stop when it's not going well, mostly because I like to try to prove myself wrong.
• A clean studio makes everything easier. Everything.
• Bring a snack and something to drink when you head in to paint. If you don't, you'll wish you had.
• The drawing at the start is essential. I don't work from photographs, as I prefer to draw the composition out on the canvas with a brush and paint. I tell myself it helps me really see the subject. But if I don't have the drawing nailed, it's time to go back to the you-know-what!

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