No Fish Today

Chat in progress... No Fish Today.
This is about inspiration.

I think there are building blocks to my inspiration.
First my wife makes sure we take time to
sight see.  Everywhere, all subjects and often.
I take photos for reference everywhere we go, even
if it is just a drive in the country.  I have shoe boxes
of photos and lots more on the computer.  We talk
constantly in our house about what we are seeing. 
For instance, while we are outside Linda will look up
and comment on the shape of clouds and the color of the sky. 
While driving we often  "look" at all the shades of green
in our landscape.  So we make a point to be open to the
inspiration and have a running dialog about it.

Linda often cuts my watercolor paper in the sizes I usually
work in and we will spend a few hours picking out my
next few paintings.  So the are ready for me.  I can walk past
the photo taped to my board and study it, think about it.
Let it get into my head. There is rarely a time my next one
is not setting here ready for me to start.  So I have no dry
times.  I do not wait till one is done to think about what is
next, next is always ready.  I may even have several started
at one time.   I move around in subjects, that keeps me
inspired. 

Another part of the building block is my miniature
Painting A Day.  This has forced me to paint daily and study
subjects and practice and work on pieces that I enjoy not for
their saleability but because I want to.  They may never
turn into large paintings but it helps with my creative
spirit.

Yes, occasionally I wake up and am uninspired,  but
a quick bike ride, a good breakfast and good old fashion
discipline makes me sit at my desk and simply start.
Within a short time I am wrapped up in my painting,