"Trinkets"

Detail of work in progress "Trinkets" oil on canvas 30 x 40"

Detail of work in progress "Trinkets" oil on canvas 30 x 40"

I am in love with this painting, and that's a problem.  I think it's become too precious.  I am moving so slowly on it because I like every stage and seem to want to stop.  I like the small nuances and moments within it and am hesitant to cover them up.  My original plan was to cover the space in hanging forms: circles, lines, drops.  Yet, the painting itself is pushing me in a more sparse direction. 

I do love the problem solving that comes with the act of creating.  Each time I create a mark, a wash of color or even a new color it creates a new situation within the composition.  There are times when this process is frentetic and intuitive and the questions are pushed passed and solved before I think too much.  Then there is this "trinkets", it is challenging me to slow, to think, to absorb every step along the way.  Perhaps that is a good pause in my studio practice.  It sure is a good life lesson.  To be more present, to stop to contemplate the small corners of our daily life.   Just maybe the title "trinkets" is too superficial for what the work is presenting to me.  Just one more thing to ponder...