Tonie Rigby : Third big one

Ok so this week massively missing the Dailies, not painting enough and then the two strands of the paintings ie the small ones and the big ones.....

Small ones......15 cm sq. Ones that are absolute a pleasure to paint, instant, no thought, intuitive, love em......

Big ones...... The first two were two foot by four foot. Pressure, pressure, pressure......I keep thinking that I don't know what to paint.... The intuitive painting doesn't work as well as on the small ones or the Dailies ( 52 cm sq. ) it takes masses of time to make the boards ( 3 coats of primer, 2 coats of acrylic .) All hard. So, it may become easier each week and it's a good discipline. Maybe I need to allow myself just an hour to paint these paintings so I don't get so hung up on them, otherwise I blend them into non existence.......well maybe there's a little artist's exaggeration there ! Get over yourself and carry on !!!!

This was this morning's weekly painting. Agony. This was the inner dialogue.
What if I can't make a painting ?
What if nothing comes ?
Just put the paint down in colour and tone until something comes.
Feel rubbish ( nothing to do with the painting )
Don't want a landscape.
Want blossom.
Don't want blossom.
Looks like a sky.
Want space.
Defo want space.
Be bold.
Something's happening.
First hour....use the towel ( it's an old towel that I use to make some texture on the paintings.)
Need lighter passages.
Looks like a landscape.
In and out of the painting.
Feels a pressure.
Do I want a vertical line.
Getting a sky again.
Let it dry...........

So, what do I think now.......it's dreamy, romantic, warm, is there distance ?, does the front plant work ? Does it need to be more realistic ? Live with it for a few days, finish off the back of the first one and continue with working on displays for the small Dailies...........

Maybe try a square large one to try and get away from the landscape . The very board size, two foot by four foot just immediately says landscape........

Had a lovely studio day. Finished off the wood frames for some small Dailies and played around with some displays. This was the first one.... The small Dailies don't look their best. I didn't really like the small Dailies on the boards either. You know with paintings, you are only as good as your mounting , framing and display. In a way though , I hadn't expected to like them so get over it......