Determined, Persistent, Responsible

“Determination gives you the resolve to keep going, in spite of the roadblocks that are before you.”—Denis Waitley

“I will persist until I succeed.”—Og Mandino

“You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.”—President Abraham Lincoln

Assembly line of Honeymoon Cabin paintings.

Listening to podcasts pulls me through painting days that feel as if I will NEVER finish ANYTHING. (This feeling may simply be a result of starting 32 paintings at the same time.)

Baby steps, back to front, the usual process.

As I worked on these paintings, I was entertained by the slightly raunchy podcast “By The Book”, where 2 women read self-help books and then live by them. I got tired of their cussing, so I switched to the fabulous motivational speaker Brian Buffini, where I heard the quotes above.

The photos have simply become guides for me as I revisit familiar subjects. This does make the process of painting easier.

In spite of not finishing any paintings, it was a productive day. I WILL get to the fun parts of drawing with my paintbrush, putting in the details that make me like to paint, and then signing the paintings. Why? Because I am determined, persistent, and responsible and because I have podcasts to listen to while I push ahead.

These are not finished, but finishing them will be the fun part.

Thanks, Brian Buffini.

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4 Comments

  1. I “do not suffer fools gladly” as the saying goes, and delete/block/unfriend anyone who thinks foul language is necessary. “Intelligent people can communicate effectively without using obscenities” is my saying!

    I’m curious–what is the last item you add to the painting that truly identifies it as DONE (besides your signature and date, of course)! I have my guess, but I’ll wait to hear from you first!

    • Sharon, every painting is different in terms of the finishing details. Sometimes it is a predetermined thing such as a flag or wildflowers; other times I keep adding details until either I am sick of it or I can’t find anything else to fix.

      • Interesting. I was thinking specifically about the Honeymoon Cabin, and my guess was that the flag was the last item added and the determining factor as to when the painting was completed. But what do I know–I’m a crocheter and we count the afghan finished when the last end is securely woven in!

        • Sharon, ditto for finishing with knitting. But paintings have the potential to go on and on and on and on. Some artists speak of “overworking”; I tend to think mine are underworked. This is the pencilist in me, striving for photo-realism.

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