behind the scenes (in the studio)

I create/paint so many pieces that will never see the light of day.  In an experimental stage, I cannot be attached to completing anything.  I just need to let it ride its course.

I think I remember reading once that Georgia O'Keeffe expressed sincere conviction that one should not start painting unless he or she has a clear idea of where they are going.  This is completely contrary to how I work.  And, there is still SO MUCH about O'Keeffe to love, appreciate and honor regardless of this difference of opinion.

In experimental stages, I worry about the waste of materials the most.  I remind myself that this is an  investment that is required (for me).  I compare it with the practice of writing morning pages as opposed to the beginnings of a novel.

As a side note: what's more overwhelming than the thought of material waste is how to dispose of works that no longer serve me!  What do others do about this?

Although I am working with a familiar subject here, I am working on the floor and spilling paint on canvas (which I haven't done with any consistency for many years).  My palette is very different from the work I have been creating lately too.  A simple explanation for this could be that my immediate world is covered in white (snow) right now.

The last breakthrough I experienced with my work was with the bison in October (2018).  Right now, I am really craving another.  At this point, I am feeling my way through the dark, still looking for the light.  Let there be light!

"I think for an artist, when you are making art, you want to be surprised 

as much as the viewer expects it themselves." Deborah Oropallo