They can’t all be winners…

Whenever I start a new painting, a fresh canvas, it fills me with excitement. I look forward to immersing into my perfect world…majestic mountains, tall trees, green meadows. As of late, I have started to work on seascapes. The ocean is truly my happy place and I want to paint the sea, waves, beaches, palm trees and glorious sunsets. I am learning that this is an all new acquired skill. Whereas mountains and trees started to come more easily to me…seascapes pose a new challenge. Angles, preservation of dark areas, straight horizons. They are all critical and if not executed properly, the whole painting will look “off”. Waves are a whole other story. Waves want to be pampered. They want to be highlighted and shadowed, they want to be dark and mysterious and transparent, all at the same time. I find myself frustrated at the rudimentary difficulties I am facing. At how much my lack of experience is influencing my painting still. But these exact challenges and difficulties are what keep me coming back for more. I cannot give up now. I am committed. So…I try to find something I like in each painting I complete. I know that there is something good about every painting. While they can’t all be winners, there is a winning aspect in every painting. Even if it is only the lesson I learned in completing it.