Lesson Six, Day Two

Lesson Six is about creating atmosphere in a painting.

I'll tell ya one thing, I've got plenty of atmosphere in my head today, and it's layered and messy. Not sure where that will take me.

I've got a square of canvas paper, an assignment, and little in the way of any notion of what I want to do.

I think I'll just take a few steps and document my trail.

• brushed on neutrals in free-form fashion, lifted paint with cheap drawing paper every so often



• brushed on transparent color, wiped some away with soft cloth, added texture, added semi-transparent veiling



• brushed on opaque white



• created a pattern of collaged circles



• stopped for the day

As I traveled through the up-close (too-close?) movement of process, my thoughts careened all over the place, mostly nowhere pleasant.

But now I've tidied my studio for the day and I have a moment to step back.

I'm struck yet again by the mysterious magic of messing about with painting.

When I woke up today, the materials in my studio were inert.

I made my bed, took a walk with a friend, shopped for groceries, prepared food, ran errands, painted for awhile.

Now, a square of canvas paper speaks of my presence in the world, of a few moments of transformative encounter with creativity. Like grass lying flat in a field, this little splash of paint on paper says, something alive has passed through here.

Awesome.