February 9, 2023
So...If i’m being honest I have a bit of hesitation vlogging about this particular piece.
This is one of those paintings leaning against the wall of my workspace collecting dust over the past year
that I'm not quite sure I'll be able to finish.
Sharing it here somehow makes me feel obligated to complete it.
Who knows… Maybe that’s a good thing. I’m not sure.
The Herald started off as several tiny sketches in my sketchbook
I eventually composited them together back in April of 2022. And then I moved on to painting it on a 3x4 foot canvas
but abruptly had to put it on hold to give priority to family care and work.
It’s always difficult diving back into a painting when it’s been sitting idle for some time.
It sort of feels like when you haven’t played a video game for a while —
everything seems so familiar yet you fumble around trying to remember the controls.
When I do decide to go back and pick up a work in progress, I'm hit with two choices:
reclaim the canvas by completely wiping it and start a new painting
or try to dive back in and complete the initial idea.
Usually what happens is I opt to start fresh and give way to new ideas – killing the old. However this painting is the most recent exception.
Most of my paintings are of one figure standing or sitting alone. And this one clearly has more than one figure
The painting is definitely pushing me beyond my comfort levels.
Abandoning it almost feels like a cop out – I would be running away from a challenge and potentially growth.
So I guess I do have an obligation.
I owe it to myself and my growth as an artist to see this through.
Only time will tell if I’m able to make it through.