I return to work tomorrow after a nice holiday break, so I am trying to build up an inventory on in-progress works so I can tinker with them during the weeks ahead.
I liked that Washington Monument painting I did a month or so ago for my Dad, and wanted to give it a try again in a different composition. The clouds and the mist were really interesting. Above is the beginning of the new one.
I want to keep a lot of paintings going on at the same time so I, and you my readers, don’t get bored with any of them and so I keep some momentum going. This one is taking on a pretty old style feel, but once the bent pines come in, it will get a little more interesting.
With the last few works I am shifting my approach to get a little more patient, to build the works up more. My drawing skills are improving, as are my abilities and confidence with the paint. Last year I was trying to work more aggressively, and I will retain that, but I think I worked a little too fast, was too free, and so might have missed some opportunities. A little more deliberation this year will be important.
Today I was working side by side with my Dad, who is getting back into fine art. He’s going to be working this up into a conte crayon drawing, but here’s his underdrawing.
Thanks for reading.
Corey Aber 
As always, you hit one of my buttons. I also have begun to generate more than one watercolor at a time. I have four in progress now, and it does make a huge difference. Not only do we have more work rolling off the assembly line, but it keeps us from stalling when one work is finished and there are no new ideas for the next one. Hemingway had the same technique in his writing, trying not to stall between novels.
Hemingway was spot on. I didn’t realize he had multiple novels gong on. I wish I had done that. When I finished my last novel 6 years ago I was completely out of ideas. It took a long time to think up anything new since I put so many ideas into it.