Overcoming Being Devastated with my Painting Progress

"Sunset's Grace," 10 3/4 x 19 3/4 pastel painting.

Reference photo courtesy: Wand Santti

Spent over half an hour in the studio this morning. Horribly frustrated! How did I go from it looking good to it looking awful? So muddy. It’s like the pastel is falling off onto the rest of the painting even when I’m not in the room. I’m so devastated… again.

I worked and worked the sky. Turned on the fan. Used the hair dryer to blow off excess dust. Then I ended up totally wiping off the left tree down the water and started doing repairs. I’m not happy. I’m heartbroken and sick to my stomach. Tears fell.

I wonder, do I spend too much time on a painting? Do I need to work quicker and get it done? Is this why artists make their paintings so blurry? Of course, I still don’t want to work that way.

While eating lunch, I couldn’t stop thinking about the painting. At 1 p.m., I decided to have another go at it, so back in the studio for another hour. Is it worth it? So, many times, I was tempted to walk away, but I kept at it. For once, I wore a mask and thought I would smother, but I had the little fan on. I don’t know what’s worse, blowing or the fan. Either way the dust flies.

I ended up moving the lamp to the other side of the easel because the shadow of my hand kept blocking what I was working on. And I kept working. Part of the problem is there’s so much thick, soft pastel layers. I guess this is a lesson to work more with hard pastels in the beginning … and maybe use an alcohol wash like a lot of other artists. I’ve never tried that and keep thinking I should.

I finally got to the bottom of the page and started working the ground to the right adding more detail. Figured I’d done enough. Hopefully, the next time in the studio will be the finishing work.

When I stood up to leave, I just had to do a little more work. Hmm, I seem to do better standing up. I don’t like the top of that left tree. I can’t get it dark enough with all the layers… but how do I get the sky in first?

I was amazed when I stood back how good it looked. Of course, I still have the right lower side to finish, and I do see a couple corrections needing to be made. As always, from a distance, it looks amazing.