Entering the last dimension

So it's all hands on deck now as I go for the final push in trying to get the London Plane Tree finished before Friday. I have to say I have hit a few walls in the last few days and that is in itself interesting to talk about. One night I just couldn't for the life of me get to sleep - my eyes were just completely switched on (as was my brain) and my throat was sore (I am fighting a bug). I think I managed to grab only a couple of hours that night which meant the next day I felt pretty rough. In the back of my mind I knew that the 'painting programme' I have set myself didn't allow me to have 24 hours to be bone idle, but I knew in my heart that to have picked up a brush at this point would have been a really silly thing to do. My mind starting picturing me dropping my brush or knocking something over the piece. With all these mini-catastrophes popping up in my overly tired mind I decided to leave the studio, go to my bedroom and write in my diary instead. In this case, taking a day off was the best thing I could have done, as the next day I felt as though I was not only physically more able to paint, but that I actually (and more importantly) wanted to. No point in doing it if you don't enjoy it is there?

London Plane Tree (Platanus × acerifolia) - a work in progress

On the other side of things, yesterday I hit a bit of a wall after my afternoon walk. I came home BOILING hot, as it was really warm yesterday here in Granada and I had far too many layers on, and sat at the easel and just froze. It took so much will power to just pick up a brush. After mixing a shade of green, I again froze. My eyes glazed over the greens and everything was blurry. I felt a little nauseous and couldn't pick out the bits the of the painting that needed attention. This is definitely a consequence of getting tired and as I said to my mum yesterday, I have begun to reach that point where I often stop on a piece of work and call it 'finished'. As a consequence of this 'glazing over episode', a lot of my work is never really fully done. I often hit a wall like this and feel like I am just dancing around with the layers after a while and not really achieving anything. I feel I am reaching that point now - it's like entering another dimension. Time warps, nerve pulses slow down and it all gets a bit dreamy.

London Plane Tree (Platanus × acerifolia) - a work in progress

Unlike with my other work, I have decided to float around in this bubble with the Plane tree as it is important that I do really finish it. I am doing to saunter with the top layer of paint for a while longer without trying to muddy the pigments or damage the paper. I really want this commission to be fully polished. As a result of this, I put on my Philip Glass (who always gets me out of a block) and got painting.  Sometimes you just have to crack on, even if it does feel like you've entered another dimension and are walking through treacle.

London Plane Tree (Platanus × acerifolia) - a work in progress

So a busy few days ahead! Must get on with it. Today I am having to completely change track and finish the conker shells for the BBC who are now (rather excitingly) doing the final edits on the Rory programme. I haven't got a broadcasting date yet, but I have asked the team so we should know soon-ish. So as a result of this I am going to be really stretching myself by reverting back to vellum today before then going back to paper for the final push. Talk about a busy week, but then I secretly love it. It's better to be busy than not.

London Plane Tree (Platanus × acerifolia) - a work in progress