Some more work on this one today. I think I'm happy with the direction it's going. Why I only say "I think," rather than "I am happy:" first of all, however I do feel about a day's work sometimes takes time to sink in. Second: it is still very much in progress. And I'm busy letting go of my ideas of how I thought it would, or might, look, and settling in with how it is looking, right now.
Meanwhile, though, there are things I like about this.
And it's moving from the "I'm not sure how I feel about this yet" towards "I think maybe I like it..."
And, I have figured out a couple of things that make me feel more comfortable in my work time.
First: a mahlstick. What is a mahlstick, you ask? Basically, it's a dowel long enough to rest one end on some surface that is not the painting or drawing (or at least not the part of the painting or drawing you're working on at the moment), while you hold the other end in your non-paintbrush-holding hand, lifted a little above the surface, and you can then rest your painting hand on it. (Wikipedia says it has a padded end - well, usually, but mine doesn't have a padded end, it's just a plain dowel.) It gives support and helps steady your hand. I NEED THAT! (Getting older, here; though still doing pretty well.)
Second: I have been fussing at my paintbrush selection for, oh, a couple of decades now. I used to have one paintbrush I loved for watercolor, a fairly large one (Leo Uhlfelder, if you want to know), which could hold quite a load of water/paint, but also, at the same time, came to a beautiful fine point. Oh, I loved that brush! But over several decades it wore down; still holds plenty of water, but does not have the point it used to. Finally, today, I contemplated one of my Japanese Sumi-e brushes, and tried it out. Duh! (I can't believe I resisted this idea for so long! What was I thinking? Isn't this the obvious brush for the job???) It's great.
So, yay, I am feeling much happier in my painting time now.
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