A few progress shots of a painting I'm still working on.

We seem to be entering the doldrums of the month. The point when the new year's gusto starts to settle down. When we begin to realize we are still treading the same path we were on before, but perhaps with a more purposeful step, and a bit more refreshed view of things.

I want to share a few "progress" shots of a painting that I'm still working on.

I started with a balsa wood board that was primed with gold gesso. The first few coats of oil paint mixed about 50:50 with Dorland's cold wax medium were applied with spatula (soft turquoise and wax); Another layer troweled on (soft green and wax); and then with a brayer (white and wax). These colors did dry between coats. A small amount of scratching happens at this point. That is the Step 1 (not pictured).

Step 2 (one is not posted)

Step 2: Once this dries for a few days, I used an oil pastel crayon to draw out the figure. A rubber tipped tool moves wet paint around, making hash motions. She is ethereal and made of the clouds and ocean waves. A bit like a Mary Oliver poem I've read recently --

"Today again I am hardly myself.

It happens over and over.

It is heaven-sent.

It flows through me

like the blue wave.

Green leaves - you may believe this or not - have once or twice

emerged from the tips of my fingers."

Step 3

The figure is defined a bit more a few days later (again with oil pastels) and bits of the background start to take shape.

Step 4, almost there

This time I decided her head needed some attention so oil paint without wax was brushed onto the face and parts of the background. More oil pastel were also drawn on. Next step will likely be another bit of wax/oil paint applied and some scratching through to reveal the under layers. I did that a bit on step 4, though not as much as the last painting that I did.

She will yet evolve a bit more ... stay tuned.