A day in the studio is full of decision making. Starting with what to paint, what to paint on, horizontal or vertical, large or small; then things get rolling! Once I am into the painting the questions start to multiply, magnify and fly around my head like a child yelling "mom, mom, look at me, look at me!" Warm blue or cool blue? Cobalt or ultra-marine? Angle subject to right or left or straight? Push more color in or gray out color? Large brush strokes, small broken pieces or smooth blending? Soft edges or hard? Every time the brush hits the palette choices are made. Every time the brush hits the painting surface more choices are made, chances are taken. 

Sometimes the decisions just leap off the brush like a well-choreographed dance. What we have studied, read, practiced, and learned becomes intuition. The knowledge of the brain gets transferred to the heart. We know what to do because it feels right.

Starting a new series there are many unanswered questions. Once you get into the work the questions multiply like guppies! This is where growth takes place. This is where you start to learn again, building more knowledge into intuition, staying focused in uncharted waters, allowing time between the strokes to think. Being the artist, the architect, the observer, the team leader, the listener, the apprentice, decisions, decisions, and more decisions! It takes a lot of energy standing in front of the easel lifting the brush stroke after stroke, all your attention focused, open and ready. I sometimes come home from the studio tired and worn around the edges. But it is a satisfied tired knowing I am reaching for more knowledge not settling for what is easy and already known.

Hopefully with a contented smile that today I made some good choices. Today I learned a lot. Today the uncharted waters did not tip over the boat and tomorrow I will do it all over again; turning knowledge into intuition, reaching to recharge a sense of wonder.

Fast forward 3 days later…ok I confess, the boat capsized. I spent 5 hours wiping off and repainting a section just to come in the next day and wipe off the same section and repaint again for 5 hours. Frustrating? Yes. Did I stop and get chocolate on the way home from my studio? Yes. Going to give up? I am way too stubborn to do that. I think now I am back on track. Uncharted waters will challenge you, frustrate you, and sometime turn you into a whiney little girl. Hang in there, put your super artist cape on and push through. You are moving your art forward and regaining your sense of wonder. May the force be with you.