I have been wanting to write a blog for the last few days, and the urge keeps niggling at me. I am the world's greatest procrastinator, perpetually putting things off until the last possible moment. The time is 4:27 a.m. and I haven’t slept — not from my usual insomnia alone, but because I’ve been drinking coffee all day and well into the night. I even braved the rain to collect my energy drinks from the servo. I am a complete addict, honestly. This is my second pick-up for the day. Monster four-packs have become my latest vice, along with vapes. I’ve quit all of the other temptations and, surprisingly, I don’t miss them — but there’s always something new to fill the gap.
I have been sitting, looking at a half-painted canvas for the last few hours. It’s propped in my bedroom at the foot of the bed so I can’t ignore it. It’s one of my larger works, so tossing it isn’t an option—too much time and money have gone into it. I’m not very prolific; most of my creative hours are spent staring at a piece and conjuring up possibilities for what to do next. I have several ideas, yet I don’t feel courageous enough to translate them onto the canvas. To see the first layer of the work, you can view it here. I’ve covered the whole painting in red, a colour I’m not entirely comfortable with. I rarely use red or blue—can’t really explain why. I’m going to try a looser approach now, not overthinking where to take it next. At the end of the day, or in the early morning, I can always paint over it and begin again with a fresh canvas.
I made my last visit to the art store today and once again spent a small fortune. All of the money I had built up from sales of my older work is now gone. I’m not on the verge of bankruptcy — I do have savings — but those have been dipped into on a couple of occasions as well. Making art makes me happy; it helps my mental health and gives me a reason to get out of bed every morning. The money I make through sales is a welcome bonus. If I earn enough from sales to keep me stocked up on supplies, I’m a content man.
Everyone says I sell too cheaply, and I’ve been thinking about a solution. I bought twenty or so small canvases. They don’t take me long to create, and the canvases themselves are a fraction of the price of my large pieces, which means I can pass the savings on to the client. I’m genuinely excited about this change and curious to see how it all pans out. It feels odd working on a smaller surface again — I haven’t played with small canvases for over two decades. Most of what I usually make is large and grand in scale, so this new, compact approach is a refreshing shift.
The experience has been fun so far. I’ve only finished half a dozen, but they’re sellable and satisfying. The cost of paint has also settled into my budget; the ones I’ve completed are up in the pool room drying over the last few days, largely because I use stupid amounts of paint. I’m in love with heavy texture — the thick application of paint keeps pulling me back in. I’ve been using Marketplace to sell my work, but the problem there is people tend to hunt for bargains, not paintings that cost hundreds of dollars, so downsizing makes sense. Hopefully I’ll attract more interest by offering cheaper pieces. It’s feasible — a small canvas costs me eight or nine dollars compared with the hundred-dollar canvases from the art store. I’m excited and looking forward to sunrise so I can start working on my new pieces.
I have developed a bit of a fetish for paint brushes. I have hundreds of them, and they are all high quality. Every time I go to Officeworks I inevitably purchase a generous amount. I suppose I’m now set for the next twenty years! I really should stop spending so much — I’m not made of money. With my luck I’ll only gain a name for myself when I turn ninety, and who knows, if I become successful maybe their value will rise after I’ve passed. Not likely, but you never know. Keep an eye on this site; it will be updated regularly with fresh work.