That’s Dire Straits, isn’t it?* Anyway, that was the phrase which came to mind as I found myself forced to hang about for rather longer than expected today. I shouldn’t complain really, because at one level I continue to forge ahead with new paintings. The problem is, however, that the technique I am using involves the creation of a layer under the paint itself consisting of modelling paste and structure gel. These are coarse and textured materials which, when used as the base layer on a painting, create a strong sense of texture. I really like working with this stuff. The trouble is that these things can take a long time to dry. The thicker the layer the longer the wait. There is progress, of course, but it never looks like progress until you begin to apply the colour. So after a day of work I still have a white canvas.
*”Some times you’re the windshield, sometimes you’re the bug.”