Finally decided to put the finishing touches on this little piece. At the very end of a painting … and in the final moments, we bring out the …. wait for it …. wax. Williamsburg makes the best of course. My classical technique uses thin, semi-transparent layers of color, so blasting those final highlights with opaque lead white mixed with just a trace of nickel yellow (a cool yellow) brings the picture to life … and when the back of my neck tingles, the thing is done.
Wetiko is turning out to be more than I imagined. But change is sometimes ugly on the surface. Underneath, well … best to hold a vision of future the we want. Like staying true to the vision of a finished painting … even when things look muddy … it is the dream of the ultimate reality that pulls me along to the picture I want to see …. and the world we want to share. Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.
So tonight I’ll enjoy my private painting-done ritual. Nice dinner, candles, flowers, and an interesting book. Life is good.
