Saturday, January 9, 2016

Never say Later, Procrastinate Now

Back in November I signed up for some drop in art classes. These classes are taught by local professional artists and I have found them to be very relaxing, informative and quite beneficial. The class I signed up for is about using color, value and temperature in your paintings and we are painting different still life set ups.

I must admit that I am a VERY last minute kind of person. And even though I signed up for this drop in art class in November, I did not even look at the material supply list until the night before the class. (I don't recommend waiting this long to have your supplies ready).
This is when I noticed that on the very top of the supply list IN ALL CAPS it said:
OIL PAINT ONLY
Oh crap! Crap! Crap! Crap! I don't even own oil paint. Why didn't I look at this sooner?
I don't paint in oils because I have 2 small curious children, and oils are messy, smelly and well....oily. The solvents are sometimes toxic, plus they take weeks to dry. WEEKS!
Also, I was saving my oil paintings for later, much, much later, like my retirement; when painting in 900 square feet with poor ventilation and getting high on paint fumes won't make any difference.

Anyhow, since it looks like I (and most of my generation) will not have any social security to retire on, and therefore I will most likely die in front of my computer typing out a email to a surgeon, who most likely won't read it and then email me later asking for the information in the email I just sent them?!?!?!?..., I might as well bite the bullet and buy some oil paints ASAP and start now.


Still Life #One (2016)
Oil on canvas board 20x24

I should admit that I am head over heels in love with my oil paints and I'm not just saying that because I've been painting all morning with the windows closed.
I am glad I never read that class list early!
I take it all back, I would absolutely recommend this type of procrastination. It seems this is the key to great discovery.
Here's to making later, now & to my early retirement!
-Cheree



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