Artblog of David Su: Failures

Hey! What's up everyone!? How's everyones week going so far? It's been another week and here's a small update. Again, since I've been working for clients, I haven't had some time to do much personal work other then sketching and doodling. I did happen to go on a hike with one of my good friends this week and it was a nice to get out and bask in the foggy hills of Claremont. We haven't caught up much since she got back from her time at the Peace core, so it was great to catch up with her and listening to her wondering and interesting stories. Before we head up to the trails, I asked if she was okay with me taking a 20 min break and doing a plein air sketch before we finish the 5mile hike. We got to the half way point and I start to set up my gouche paints. To catch everyone up, I haven't really touch gouche paint since Sophomore year of college, but it has always had a pleasure using the media, so I figure I could whip it out for a test run. Turns out! Im pretty horrible at it...still. I named this post failure because I think it's great to try something new or unfamiliar. I've always been the person to stay in the comfort zone because it's what I know best and I know what I can produce with it, but i've been trying to embrace the new instead of the comfortable. Half way through the painting, I knew this was one of the those paintings that wasn't going to go anywhere and it's wasn't worth saving; plus, its pretty dam cold, where we were at, my hands were so stiff from the cold that it was hard to move my fingers. Anyways! to get to my point, even after when I knew the painting wasn't going anywhere, I was analyzing WHY it wasn't working and what can I do in the future to make my next gouche plein air attempt work. (trust me...I tried to polish the turd and it made it worse.) I know now that I really need to understand gouche for the media that it is, instead of the media that I want it to be. So what Im trying to say is, accept the failures and learn from it, embrace it and move onto the next painting!