Try, Try Again

The morning was frustrating at first.  I drove over to Southport Island to paint at the boatyard.  It was a beautiful sunny day, and I was eager to paint.  But from the start, I had trouble drawing the boats.  Then there was a treeline behind the boats which was, of course, a dark green which I thought I could play up as a value contrast.

The boats got worse when I started to paint, and the trees were a dark mess.  The shadows further frustrated me.  So I did what I sometimes do when I'm that frustrated:  I flipped the paper over and painted with much more abandon.

I had learned something about the shapes of the boats, and drew them quickly.  I decided to use the storage buildings behind me rather than those yucky green trees.  I also chose a more violet color for the shadows.  I strayed from the colors of the actual boats so that I could use the complementary colors of blue and orange. 

In other words, I was no longer a slave to the scene in front of me.  I could also paint more quickly in order to keep the washes fresh.

Lesson:  If you are frustrated with your first attempt, try, try again!