Being thoroughly unproductive during the dark years of 2020 and 2021, it’s taken me a while to recover. I’ve tried to pick up the pace by painting some smaller pieces and increasing my studio time. This has paid off. As of the end of this month I’ve completed exactly as many paintings as I did all last year. I feel accomplished but at the same time I still feel like I’m playing catch up.

A few years ago I tried working on multiple pieces at the same time. They were all paintings of pink tulips so I figured I could work from the same palette. I failed. Old habits die hard with this old dog and I reverted to working one until completion before moving on to the other. Fast forward to this spring and my desire to rev things up I decided to try it again. 

What a difference a little motivation makes. This time it worked. It was almost as if one piece was supporting the other. One patiently drying while I worked on the other. I began to think of them as fraternal twins, born at the same time, but looking different in the end. Kindred spirits really.

Soon I’m hoping to start work on a very large piece. There won’t be a companion to it because there’ll be lots to work on all over the canvas, but maybe I’ve learned something about pace and palette. 

Maybe. Afterall, I am a creature of habit.

Paintings: (l to r). Kindred No. 1, Kindred No. 2 © Lissa Banks 2023