The Weekly Art Project #2

Still Life in Watercolor #2

I suppose it would be a cliche saying that I was nuts getting myself into this thing. I just finished this painting a couple of hours ago, and just under the wire on timing too. Considering I've got 50 something midterms to grade and research to work on, I was spending every spare minute I got painting to be able to finish this within a week.

I painted this from a picture I'd taken in Sedona, AZ on the way to the Grand Canyon, when I was walking with Habib in this artisan market and someone was selling sea shells. This project was, well, exhausting. The details, the frustration, the SHELLS!!! I think I was cursing all manner of shells in this universe while I painted this thing. At a few points I was very tempted to just quit, or resign myself to the fact that it will suck.

I think it's obvious from the painting that the hardest part were the shells in the blue wood box. I will honestly say that at several points, I had no clue what I was doing. I was just slapping on paint as close as I can tell to the photo, and praying that it will work. I guess my right brain knows a thing or two, because I was pretty happy with the end result.

Does it perfectly match my vision of what I'd wanted it to be? No. But a few parts do and I'm satisfied with it. I feel tangible progress.

In the interests of full disclosure and my own sanity, in the future, at my discretion, I may give myself 2 weeks to finish paintings that are excessively detailed and larger in size than an A4 paper. Especially when I have midterms to grade!!!

Until next week, cheers.