Painting can be a form of meditation when things are going well.
There are some photos of Rothko sat in his studio contemplating a painting. I always imagined this inactivity would stretch across days of drowsing, sleep deprivation and hunger.
My day has been slightly more productive but I believe the success of these paintings partly rests with careful consideration of tonal modulations to capture the feeling of the place.
I need to understand the particularity of light and how it shifts across the landscape. Not easy when painting from photos, that’s a potential dilemma that may need to be solved.
More effort required? This afternoon has not been wasted, the painting is progressing nicely. I have decided on a title change. I am becoming more interested in capturing the particularity of place and weather, and so my titles should reflect this.
A gloomy April, Northumberland. Day 2