Little Paintings

The last day of my workshop, I encouraged students to paint often.  But that isn't easy when you're searching for ideas and trying to be bold.  So I set up an assembly line of small paintings:  5 1/2 x 7 1/2", taped with masking tape around the edges.  I first painted the background of one, then the sky of a second, the water of the third, etc.  By the time I painted the fourth or fifth background or underpainting, painting #1 was dry enough to go back to.  I had no idea what the subject was going to be in most cases, so that freed me up to explore the shapes with bold color.

Try this small painting-assembly line approach and see if it doesn't make you loosen up.