Stop. Breath. Paint.

It's so humid here today! It was bad yesterday too, but this weather is unexpected at this time of year. It seems like we've all been saying that a lot, doesn't it? Clearly our weather patterns have shifted all over, and nothing is "normal" any more. Of course my thoughts are with those in Oklahoma (one of my best friends is out there, fortunately she and her family are safe.)

My life didn't get back on track, as I spent earlier in the week taking care of my sick daughter and in the doctor's office ruling out appendicitis. It just seems like life is determined to be a pain in the neck lately! I've made some progress on my work, but not much. Here is where I am starting this morning:

I, yet again, have the goal to finish this painting over the weekend. I'm going to wind ivy and flowers in the tree trunk, somehow... I have this image in my mind, but it's not fully in focus yet. I always put in the flowers last when they're just decorative, so the green will light up with a lot more color too (they go in last to balance out the colors in the painting. Sometimes I'm not sure what color things will be, and it's a nice final touch to bring everything into harmony.) I also plan on working on the butterfly today. Basically, I just want to work. I have so much work to do, and I can't seem to make it move fast enough.

Which makes me stop, because that isn't right. I stopped enjoying this painting, and I'm not sure why. Maybe I'm just grumpy at all the speed-bumps I've been hitting in my life lately, and it's translating to my work?

Or it could be the weather, because, seriously. It's so humid, I feel like I'm still damp from swimming or something. This makes me want to buy air conditioners for my house. Blah.

I'm also worried that this painting has taken so long, when I have much larger ones planned to finish out the series. My brain has already started thinking ahead to next year, when I get to pick a new fairytale to explore for the year, instead of focusing on poor Alice. But then again, poor Alice accidentally stretched into a two year period... so maybe it's that.

I did sign up for two small local events where I will have a booth, and I just received my new tent (my husband borrowed my old one for his soccer team and basically destroyed it. He's lucky he's cute.) I ordered this one from Undercover, and it's got excellent reviews for being extremely sturdy (and I plan on denying all requests by my husband to use it. He can buy his OWN tent!) I'm also considering branching out to local galleries once again. I swore that off long ago, when so many of them had policies where they took 40-60% commission AND demanded I work a certain amount of days a month in their gallery for free. Just insane. But I've been hearing that some new galleries that have popped up might be less mentally unstable, and I have decided I need to go and check them out. It's time, and maybe once again my work won't sell well in Vermont, but you never know! Maybe people are tired of cows and barns. It could happen!