Lack of Sleep

I usually try and figure out the current painting I'm working on while I'm going to sleep. At times this practice can be a bit of a problem as that relaxing, end of the day meditative state I'm trying to achieve can, at times, turn into a get right up and start painting state. This was the case last night. I do love the studio when all are asleep and I have my dog Casey snoring contentedly in the middle of the floor while I paint. Here's the result.

8th and A

Opelika, Alabama

15" x 18"

Some new ones

Morning Delivery 12" x 9"

Wow- well, I missed September completely. That is not to say I wasn't there, but true to form, I got busy and have only raised my head up to check, on occasion, that the house wasn't on fire. In my fleetingly scarce moments of down time I did manage to stay in the studio and do some painting for myself (or galleries) which ever way you look at it. I'm not complaining by any means. I'm extremely privileged that my day job involves watercolors, but it can get hard to stick at it after business hours if you've been working on architectural pieces all day. The trick, I think, is convincing yourself that the real freedom lies in the exploration you can do when working for yourself without a client in mind and that will refresh you. Sometimes it works. There has been lots of news lately and I'll spread that out over a few posts in the next couple of days to keep things interesting. Here are a couple of new ones to chew on in the meantime. I'm gearing up for some serious play in the next few weeks so the images should start to look a bit different for a while. That "play" is so important to me. If I don't push myself in new or uncomfortable ways then I find I start to feel stale and who wants that? 

The Brooklyn Bridge from under the FDR

18" x 10"