Up in the air - New Acrylic Tango painting and reflecting on 2010

I wanted to squeeze in one more painting for the year. I was having a huge quadtych of Irises that has been pending from quite some time. And my husband had given me a deadline till the year end to complete it, and since I too had the same idea, I was working on it the whole of today. But then, Mr. Murphy had to have his say and it was just not turning out right. It was somewhere between real and abstract and everything in between, and nothing related to what I had in mind. So I ditched it, left it aside for later. That's one baggage I carry with me into 2011.

But then, I was not at peace with this at all and had this nagging feeling eating my brains out. And then in a flash, it occurred to me that I do a quick small one and yet manage to squeeze in a new painting for the year. And I spent no time in deciding what to paint and stuff. And this was completed in about 15 minutes. Or a little less. I was mighty pleased with myself at having got the better of Murphy.

Up in the air
Acrylics on board, 5 by 7 inches
© Nithya Swaminathan
$35 + shipping
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Thinking back, it was just the perfect way to finish the year, as 2010 has precisely been that kind of year for me. A year where I could find time from the most unsuspecting corners. A year when I managed to create over 300 pieces of art, a lot of family and work commitments notwithstanding. A year that I could look back to, and beam with pride at all the art that was created in an hour or less, as opposed to feeling guilty about all the hours wasted. A year when I developed a unique style and am closer to the day when my paintings could be identified as mine without seeing my name on them. A year when I had a lot of people write to me that they loved my work. A year when I proved a lot to myself about what I was capable of. A year when my distant dreams became a bit more tangible and real. A year that had a lot of growth for me as a person and artist. Certainly a year to cherish, and a new benchmark to better next year.

I will not be publishing a goals post, I am sure you're already deluged with such. I did not post one last year either, and ended up with 313 paintings, the largest of which is 32 by 32 inches. I daresay I do not believe in publishing and publicizing what you plan to do. That's not to say I do not have a plan in the first place. Far from it.

A very happy New Year to everyone. May 2011 be better in every which way!