Mutual Support - painting from the depths of hell

this piece was doomed from the get go...firstly it was revisited from a photo i had already used for a painting i did in all sepia tones. the original sepia painting was my favourite painting. a client wanted it, so i sold it...it went bad from there and now there is bad blood between the client and myself. a huge bad taste in my mouth.

so somehow thinking i could revisit this photo, i tried again and only in colour this time and the horses would have more wind blown manes and stormy skies...sounds good no? there is an old saying i believe fits for everyday.

"plan your day, don't plan the outcome"

or in this case...plan the painting, don't plan the outcome....sheesh....understatement!!!

from the get go it was a struggle from the under painting being 'washed' off by the glaze of transparent red iron oxide to the palette seemingly changing from day to day. i had a buyer for this piece. it was yet to be finished and yet a client wanted it...just finish it and money was mine to be had!!

if ANYTHING was to be learned from this piece, it was this very important thing for me. an 'aha' moment...i am NOT motivated by money. there it was a huge amount of money dangling before me. the painting 2/3 done and the moment the money was there, the expectation, the pressure was on....i froze!!!

after 6 months of being frozen, the client withdrew his offer...now i was free!! free to finish when i wanted! so struggling along, and with the intent to get it done for the stampede western art show in july which i was juried into, desperate as usual for inventory, i abandoned it..um i mean finished it!!!

...whew sure was hot down there in the depths of hell...or was that a hot flash?!