My current painting project is an eight-figure composition. It’s a relatively big deal for me in terms of investment of time and focus. This is partly because I am using a variation of a conventional technique, aiming at a realistic (although not a photo-realistic) result. It involves building the forms in multiple layers, often allowing them to dry between applications.
I keep reminding myself that the way to eat a proverbial elephant is one bite at a time. So I work on this painting in small chunks of time, tackling a small area of the canvas in each session. Currently, I am at a stage when I’ve eaten quite a few bites and starting to feel a bit full, but at the same time realize that what remains is still very much an elephant.
It’s curious how my head works, though. Every now and then, I want to set this picture aside (because of the lack of novelty, no doubt) and start another big painting project. That is like being quite full with the elephant you’ve been eating but dealing with it by ordering another elephant from the menu.