Burning the Midnight Oil

by Susan Lobb Porter | Artists, Daily Painting | 2 comments

Thirty paintings. Thirty days.

California Impressions # 13

AKA, the one that nearly didn’t happen. Because sometimes life gets in the way. Today was a day of errands and taxi driving. Building display panels. By the time I had some time I was more inclined to kick back with Mr. Spouse and watch Law & Order reruns from the last century.

And then I couldn’t sleep. Go figure. A painting kept playing in my head, a great big abstract water thing complete with a voice that said you will not remember this in the morning.

So I got out of bed and headed to my studio behind the house.

I already knew which canvas to use, this big old 3 x 4 foot puppy sporting some birds in a tree that I painted a few years ago, something back when I was painting all sorts of things looking for my voice and this was definitely not it.

But it made a great underlayer for tonight’s adventure.

California Impressions # 13 work in progress
Susan Lobb Porter

Is it done? Probably not. Definitely not. I’ll need to look at it by the light of day, after some sleep. But for now it makes me happy on so many levels…mostly because it’s not those damn birds. But there was also a spontaneity that came from the late hour, from the adventure of getting out of bed and painting. And from painting in total silence–I never paint without music or some talky stuff.

There was something almost primal about the experience.

And now I’m going to bed.

Until tomorrow…or later today–