New year's resolution update (again)

I hardly ever try to do the new year's resolution thing, so I give the tradition no credit for me trying to improve my painting situation. But it's still a good excuse if anyone asks.

"Um.... why are you spending so much time splashing paints around?"

"Have to. New Year's Resolution."

I wonder how many things you can apply that to?

"Why are you wearing a green 'fro?"

"New Year's Resolution."

"Well, I guess that's OK, then."

Was that as good for you as it was me? ^^

At any rate. Above is my new table all finished. As mentioned before, it's really a glorified coffee table, but it was still a nice project.

I've never made anything remotely like furniture before, so it was interesting. To the right is a picture of the table from the front while I was staining it.

Hopefully this will not be the end of my efforts to try to spend increasing amounts of time on ink painting because I have a long ways to go.

New year's resolution update

So how's the New Year's Resolution coming?

I set a pretty big goal for myself - doubling the amount of time I work on ink painting. In order to accomplish this, I am trying to come up with strategies to help me work at it longer.

I have been doing physical exercises to help cope with working on the floor sitting in seiza (Japanese style.) These are really starting to pay off. I can sit much longer without pain now, but I am still working on a low table hoping that it will make me more comfortable and perhaps increase my accuracy.

The main barrier I am going to have to deal with for a while is the lack of paper. I am currently rationing to make my paper last until at least Spring. Hopefully, I will be able to afford a good supply of paper by then or work could grind to a halt.

I won't be totally stopped at that point because I am saving pieces like the picture on the right so that I can work on learning to do washes and mounting the pieces for hanging.

Until I can get in a steady supply of paper, I am going to be limited in how much I can do in a day. I am going to supplement that as much as I can with pencil studies, art history, and any other forms of training that I think might help.