I need more walls.

OK so this is my first ever blog so I hope it goes to the right place, and that someone reads it. If you are reading this, welcome!

I don't know about most artists, but I tend to have several paintings on the go at one time. Whenever I am setting up for a session I have to decide if I am in a 'finishing off' mood, a 'carrying on mood' or if I am in neither and should just start a new piece. The finishing of a painting is obviously the most crucial. By the time the 'finale" comes around I have obviously invested many hours on the painting. It's unlikely that I would mess up a work by not being in the right frame of mind, not because I'm wonderful, but because I paint in acrylic and I could always revisit it and fix it. However, I like to be fresh, inspired and totally in the zone to finish a painting off. Often this isn't the case so I go for one of the other two options.

This weekend I have had my decision made for me! I have recently finished three paintings" North Side Coastline (which should be around here somewhere), one that's like a still life of coconuts, that I haven't put on FAA yet, and one of a big-leafed shrub that I would upload if I knew what the plant was called. These latter two pieces are not what I normally paint so I they are hanging on my wall for a while so I can enjoy them, instead of whisking them off to a gallery. I have two more, each 4' x 3', that are almost finished and two more beachscape/seascape types that require some final touches. There are others too, crowding around my workspace. I have nowhere to hang anything and my studio is getting hard to move around in. I bet there are lots of artists out there that recognise this scenario.

So, the pressure is on to finish the two big ones and the two medium ones and get them into galleries here in Cayman. My usual gallery is full to the brim, but I'm investigating putting some in the Ritz-Carlton next week so, hopefully, all my problems will be solved, and I will be able to get to my painting chair without resorting to limbo moves and other body contortions.



I hope you enjoy reading this. It has been unusual sharing what I do, and how and why I do it, but it was fairly pleasant so I intend to do it every weekend.

Enjoy your week.

John