Atmospheric Pressure- A New Challenge

Atmospheric Pressure (unfinished)

10x8

oil on canvas paper
sold

I painted this cloudy atmosphere while under the pressure of time constraints... hence the title.

I found this new blog called Twenty Minute Challenge and thought the concept offered a great exercise. The idea is to get all set up and then begin painting for twenty minutes and no longer. You must stop at that point whether you are done or not. Well, when I was at the studio on Monday I really wasn't in the right mood to tackle the large canvas (40x30") I prepared last week. That became clear as I puttered around the studio tweaking things, tidying my space, painting edges of canvases and visiting... pure stalling techniques- possibly picked up from exposure to my children at their bedtime! At about 2:40 p.m. I remembered about this challenge and decided to do it. I would be picking the kids up from school soon, so I had no choice but to work quickly and not (dishonestly) go over the 20 minute limit. : o) 

I got set up: paints ready, paper taped to board, palette set to go, and with my eye on the clock, off I went! Twenty minutes goes fast! It certainly kept me loose and moving at all times. I can see how doing this exercise on a regular basis could really keep me focused on the essentials of my subject and help to keep me from getting hung up on details. This isn't finished, but that's okay. This exercise was all about the painting and not about the end result. Very liberating.