Time Flies When You're Painting

Brand New Day
Acrylic on Canvas Panel
16 x 20 in/40.6 x 50.8 cm
Copyright Byrne Smith 2014

Here we are at the beginning of another month. Time flies.

I find painting makes time (and life) go even faster than it normally does. I say that because I look at the time I spend on a painting, which is usually no more than one or two days, three at most. That means I'm painting a couple of paintings every week, sometimes more, but always at least one, including some down time on the weekends.

When you are in the moment of your work, when your concentration and mind's eye are evaluating and comparing and your arm and hand are working together to create brushstrokes, time truly is flying.

The days seem to surround that painting time and I mark the passage of hours and days by those paintings. That one was the first week in January and that one over there, I did at the end of November.

I want every day of painting to be a new day for exploring, for improving, and for creating.   Some may see today's image of the morning as cliche, but I like the strong contrast of light and shadow with the trees silhouetted against the sky. The painting captures the promise of a brand new day along with the passage of time.

At least that's what I hope it expresses.