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| "Rising Tide" 9x12 Oil Available Here |
"Too warm—cooler!"
"Too blue—greener!"
"Not dark enough—lighter!"
The casual passerby might hear me mutter phrases like these as I paint. Talking to myself might be a sign of dementia, but not in this case. It's a habit of constant narration that I've developed as a teacher; students find it useful because it gives them my thought process behind the painting. But I find it useful when I paint alone, too. It's all part of what I call "mindful painting," which I discussed in an earlier post. Analyzing my choices out loud keeps me focussed on the task at hand. Each statement serves as an evaluation of the brush stroke I just laid down, keeping me on track.
The muttering also seems to serve another purpose—curious folks keep their distance.
