What Might Have Been? - Every Day is a New Beginning

How often are we looking back on what might have been? Every day is a new beginning. Dwell not on what might have been, but look to what can be. The Buddhists philosophy is that, when we are unhappy, it is because we are either focused on the loss of the past or the fear or desire of the future, rather than living in the present. With our thoughts, we create the world. What you think, you become.

"New Day", 24 x 30 oil on canvas

The response to the previous post, where I showed the painting development, has been great. I'll give you a look at how I worked through this painting. First up, you can see some of the simple gridding that I use to guide me with transferring the outlines to the canvas. I've found an extremely simple grid, sometimes with diagonals, far more efficient, and less confusing than a dense grid.

Starting with the colour...

At this stage, she looks like she's not so sure about her hair style.

And then finally, framed and ready to hang.

Some day, I'm going to have to set up a time lapse of the painting as it develops. I've seen many other artists do it. My studio is small, so I'd have to rearrange things so I can leave the camera set up and still move around my studio.

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