Then & Now
I've been painting since as young as I can remember, But only within the last few years have I decided to try and pursue it as a means to an end. I would love nothing more than to spend the rest of my days in a shed painting my heart out. I love a bit of self-reflection and as such, am a big fan of Facebook's On This Day function, along with the Timehop app for phones.
Being able to see where I was years ago vs. where I am now is not only useful, but stimulating and exciting. If that's where I was last year, where will I be this time next year? Reflection is a great tool and I even use it as a source of inspiration. Not as a way to cheat ideas, but perhaps my younger self had some incredible colour schemes, a particular love for a subject or some awesome pattern ideas? It is also fascinating to see if my hands still move in the same way they did back then.
The two poppy paintings have roughly 11 months between them. Although they have similar colour schemes - so much has changed. I still love my poppies from a year ago, that black and white vase still looks ace to me. This time one year ago I would have never (ever) been able to pick up a brush and use it to line those poppies. I found it quite a daunting feat, but now I have gained at least a bit of confidence in that area, as you can see in the painting below. Along with this, I have become more comfortable with using colour mixing and experimenting.
I find comparing old and new paintings so fascinating, so there will be periodic reflection posts like this all the time.
I can't wait to see how much has changed in yet another year!