Last After-Work Painting for 2026 Probably

Today was a bit of a crappy day- nothing serious, mostly something work-related that is an ongoing problem that is getting worse, but there's nothing I can do about it except to keep going.

But everything is, in a broad general sense, ok. I just had a slightly crappy day.

So, I figured I'd use the leftover paint from yesterday and get one more painting in after work.

Likely the last one for the year. Sunset was at 7:01pm, it's getting earlier and earlier.

There were some really great clouds at the wildlife refuge and I decided to make them my focus.

8x10 oil

It was so difficult and I had to remind myself of that.

Goal-wise the end result of this painting is a fail.

Almost the entire time I was painting I thought it was a wipe.

This is the third painting I consider to be a fail this year, and I was thinking about that while painting and I decided that's a good thing.

The reason I think this painting is a fail is because I did not get the design of the sky correct and established at the start. Not for lack of trying... it just wasn't coming together.

Clouds are difficult, the sky doesn't stay still, and especially right before sunset things just change a lot, quickly.

So- my values are correct but my design is not, but I really did learn SO much.

My layering is good, I'm working in a new way with values, and there is a stage in the beginning block-in that I need to specifically practice.

Like the aster painting- which I consider is about 80% "there", this painting paved a starting point for how to proceed.

I'm STILL post-mortem analysing the aster painting.  I know how to bring it farther next time, and what needs to be done, and a change on a beginning approach.

So, this cloud painting is in that category too.

I think it's about 40% there and again, I see the way forward.

Conceptually I know what I need to do next time, but executing it will require some practice.

So, it's about growth.

I have had a lot of painting growth this year and the difficulties I'm experiencing stem from that.

It's just a matter of coordination which is gained through practice.

I'll have to do some studio practice on this, and I also know exactly how to proceed with that.

It would be good to take these now-dark evenings to practice in preparation for more evening cloud paintings next year.