This footage was taken while I was The Ford Family Foundation Golden Spot Resident at Leland Iron Works, the studio complex of Oregon sculptor Lee Kelly. It was my first large scale painting on canvas.

This footage was taken while I was The Ford Family Foundation Golden Spot Resident at Leland Iron Works, the studio complex of Oregon sculptor Lee Kelly. It was my first large scale painting on canvas.
I keep track of my painting sessions with a time log, I use a simple sign in – sign out system with a place for a note. This allows me to see how long I spend on each work, and how much of that time is actually painting, testing ideas, or just staring at it while I think. I also track my confidence level by giving each session a value rating from 1 to 5. At the end of each painting session I take a photo. The following video show all the photos from my most recent 4 by 6 foot painting. (Scroll down to see the log of painting sessions.)
In the log below, the first number on the left is my confidence rating. This is entered as I sign out of that work session (the system won’t submit the session without the rating) and is an immediate emotional response to how I think the painting is progressing. The general breakdown is: 1 = I hate it, 2 = I dislike it, 3 = I don’t know, 4 = I like it, 5 = I love it. The following fields are the date, time I signed out, total minutes in the session, and my note.
5 19 Nov 2019 10:35 9 mins Plan first marks
5 20 Nov 2019 9:12 70 mins 1st mark, looks like a turkey
4 20 Nov 2019 10:44 29 mins Test figure
4 21 Nov 2019 8:55 14 mins Test figure
4 21 Nov 2019 9:41 41 mins Test figure
3 21 Nov 2019 13:38 8 mins Think
4 22 Nov 2019 8:29 23 mins Test figure
4 22 Nov 2019 9:14 37 mins Test figure
5 24 Nov 2019 8:43 10 mins Test figure
4 24 Nov 2019 9:21 34 mins Test figure
4 24 Nov 2019 10:27 47 mins Test wings
4 25 Nov 2019 9:02 20 mins Think
4 25 Nov 2019 9:37 24 mins Test
4 25 Nov 2019 10:04 24 mins Test legs down and new wing
5 25 Nov 2019 10:19 7 mins Images
5 25 Nov 2019 11:18 46 mins Test bottom wing folded and tail over head
4 25 Nov 2019 19:45 35 mins Test
4 26 Nov 2019 8:48 28 mins Test
4 26 Nov 2019 9:04 15 mins Test
4 26 Nov 2019 10:45 64 mins Test
4 26 Nov 2019 18:31 21 mins Test
4 26 Nov 2019 18:49 15 mins Think
3 27 Nov 2019 9:08 42 mins Paint turkey
5 27 Nov 2019 9:35 21 mins Images legs
3 27 Nov 2019 10:22 41 mins Paint turkey
3 27 Nov 2019 11:14 14 mins Think
3 27 Nov 2019 11:46 20 mins Splatter images
3 27 Nov 2019 14:25 38 mins Paint sky
3 27 Nov 2019 17:03 40 mins Paint legs
3 28 Nov 2019 10:23 27 mins Paint figure
3 28 Nov 2019 11:07 7 mins
3 29 Nov 2019 9:02 19 mins Think
3 29 Nov 2019 10:23 47 mins Test figure
3 29 Nov 2019 10:37 11 mins Older drawings for reference
3 29 Nov 2019 11:34 49 mins Test figure add wing and heart
5 29 Nov 2019 14:27 26 mins Images of turkey wings
4 29 Nov 2019 15:50 47 mins Test wrap wing halo
4 30 Nov 2019 9:00 46 mins Test wing and lower arm
4 30 Nov 2019 9:42 32 mins Test land
3 1 Dec 2019 9:23 70 mins Paint yellow
3 3 Dec 2019 9:05 35 mins Paint near horizon
5 3 Dec 2019 10:32 74 mins Paint
3 3 Dec 2019 11:34 33 mins Test tail
3 3 Dec 2019 15:49 46 mins Test wing feathers
3 3 Dec 2019 19:48 62 mins Paint sand
3 4 Dec 2019 8:38 16 mins Test wings
2 4 Dec 2019 10:31 32 mins Test new wing and tail,
2 4 Dec 2019 11:15 27 mins Feel bad about abandoning prev idea but afraid looks like appropriation
3 4 Dec 2019 12:50 75 mins Think
3 4 Dec 2019 13:19 26 mins Feeling better about turning into peacock
3 5 Dec 2019 8:40 31 mins Paint
3 5 Dec 2019 10:18 69 mins Paint sky sand
3 5 Dec 2019 11:28 10 mins Paint sand
3 5 Dec 2019 14:39 34 mins Paint
3 5 Dec 2019 16:07 39 mins Paint sky
3 5 Dec 2019 17:33 17 mins Paint
3 5 Dec 2019 19:40 55 mins Paint sand sky
3 7 Dec 2019 10:45 56 mins Paint sky
5 8 Dec 2019 10:30 21 mins Paint sky
3 10 Dec 2019 8:50 40 mins Prep to paint bird
3 10 Dec 2019 9:23 11 mins Bird illustration books
3 10 Dec 2019 9:40 17 mins Mix paint for bird
3 10 Dec 2019 10:35 48 mins Paint bird
3 10 Dec 2019 14:13 30 mins Paint bird
3 11 Dec 2019 9:07 47 mins Paint bird
3 11 Dec 2019 9:31 22 mins Peacock images
3 11 Dec 2019 10:20 47 mins Test bird head and fig
3 11 Dec 2019 16:48 49 mins Test figure
2 11 Dec 2019 17:22 30 mins Paint bird, getting discouraged about figure
2 12 Dec 2019 9:15 51 mins If I had another canvas ready I would take a break
3 12 Dec 2019 13:15 32 mins Paint bird, feeling better about smaller head
3 12 Dec 2019 13:32 16 mins Paint sky
3 12 Dec 2019 14:11 12 mins Paint bird
2 12 Dec 2019 17:33 54 mins Test figure this is not going to work
3 13 Dec 2019 11:14 25 mins test new figure
2 13 Dec 2019 12:00 36 mins Test multiple figures
3 13 Dec 2019 15:21 39 mins Test figure w legs
3 13 Dec 2019 15:36 8 mins Just legs
3 13 Dec 2019 18:20 17 mins Test legs, better without faces
3 15 Dec 2019 9:51 38 mins Test fork and rope
3 15 Dec 2019 11:07 11 mins Paint bird
3 15 Dec 2019 15:30 26 mins Test fork and knife
4 15 Dec 2019 15:58 22 mins Test arms for legs, liking this better
4 16 Dec 2019 10:06 46 mins Test arms and rope
3 16 Dec 2019 11:28 74 mins Paint land
3 18 Dec 2019 9:09 61 mins Paint land
3 18 Dec 2019 16:05 44 mins Paint ground
3 18 Dec 2019 16:21 13 mins Paint land
3 19 Dec 2019 10:05 53 mins Paint
3 19 Dec 2019 10:05 45 mins paint land
3 20 Dec 2019 9:12 9 mins Paint
3 20 Dec 2019 9:40 18 mins Paint land
3 20 Dec 2019 15:36 29 mins Paint
3 22 Dec 2019 9:14 23 mins Paint blue
5 22 Dec 2019 10:05 22 mins Paint yellow glaze
3 22 Dec 2019 10:24 19 mins Paint can Duke glaze
3 22 Dec 2019 17:12 22 mins Paint glaze and blue
3 23 Dec 2019 19:52 27 mins Paint glaze and blue
3 24 Dec 2019 9:14 56 mins Paint white
3 24 Dec 2019 10:05 46 mins Paint white
3 24 Dec 2019 11:41 23 mins Paint white
3 24 Dec 2019 15:34 34 mins Paint white
3 24 Dec 2019 16:28 28 mins Paint white
3 27 Dec 2019 10:05 64 mins Paint white
3 27 Dec 2019 10:38 27 mins Paint white
3 27 Dec 2019 11:55 32 mins Paint
3 28 Dec 2019 9:38 42 mins Paint
3 28 Dec 2019 11:51 45 mins Paint
3 28 Dec 2019 14:00 68 mins Paint
3 28 Dec 2019 15:17 55 mins Paint while on phone to Meg
3 30 Dec 2019 19:30 25 mins Test
3 4 Jan 2020 9:16 14 mins Test
3 4 Jan 2020 10:06 43 mins Test
2 4 Jan 2020 19:19 12 mins No longer like where I was going
3 5 Jan 2020 10:57 72 mins Feeling better about this
4 5 Jan 2020 16:18 41 mins Test bulk and white outlines
4 6 Jan 2020 8:47 22 mins Test shadow
4 6 Jan 2020 9:09 15 mins Test comb again
3 6 Jan 2020 11:16 126 mins Mix dark over layer
3 8 Jan 2020 9:00 37 mins Paint begin darken land
4 8 Jan 2020 9:58 43 mins Paint while on phone to Kim
3 8 Jan 2020 17:24 81 mins Paint
3 9 Jan 2020 9:24 9 mins Prep
3 9 Jan 2020 10:30 55 mins paint
3 9 Jan 2020 11:20 44 mins Paint
3 10 Jan 2020 13:22 50 mins Paint
4 10 Jan 2020 14:43 64 mins Paint
3 10 Jan 2020 16:51 49 mins Paint
3 11 Jan 2020 8:35 25 mins Paint
4 11 Jan 2020 9:49 49 mins Paint
4 11 Jan 2020 10:39 44 mins Paint
3 13 Jan 2020 9:12 34 mins Paint
3 13 Jan 2020 10:08 51 mins Paint comb
3 13 Jan 2020 10:33 17 mins Paint
3 13 Jan 2020 11:33 21 mins Paint
3 15 Jan 2020 9:28 66 mins Paint comb beak
3 15 Jan 2020 10:33 17 mins Paint white
3 15 Jan 2020 15:29 49 mins Paint white
3 16 Jan 2020 10:21 36 mins Paint
3 16 Jan 2020 11:08 36 mins Test string and egg
3 17 Jan 2020 8:57 20 mins Paint glazes comb
3 17 Jan 2020 9:52 39 mins Paint
3 17 Jan 2020 10:20 21 mins Paint white
3 18 Jan 2020 9:28 45 mins Test reds
3 18 Jan 2020 10:26 31 mins Test legs
3 18 Jan 2020 11:07 32 mins Paint legs. Still not sure but maybe I like them…
4 19 Jan 2020 10:55 36 mins Paint touch up legs
4 19 Jan 2020 11:20 21 mins Test arms
4 19 Jan 2020 13:50 21 mins Test forks
4 20 Jan 2020 13:46 14 mins Think
4 21 Jan 2020 14:40 52 mins Test blue for arms
4 21 Jan 2020 16:28 58 mins This is crazy but I think I like it
4 21 Jan 2020 19:13 13 mins Test arms w dots
4 22 Jan 2020 15:20 56 mins Strings for guides
3 26 Jan 2020 11:05 43 mins Re-tape fallen strings
3 29 Jan 2020 9:35 58 mins Paint dots
3 29 Jan 2020 10:07 25 mins Repaint front dots
3 29 Jan 2020 14:29 25 mins Touch up and mix blue
3 30 Jan 2020 8:40 35 mins Paint glaze dots
3 31 Jan 2020 11:10 18 mins Think
3 31 Jan 2020 12:15 38 mins Paint green
4 1 Feb 2020 9:42 45 mins Paint green
4 1 Feb 2020 10:19 22 mins Paint
4 1 Feb 2020 14:29 91 mins Paint
4 2 Feb 2020 9:20 29 mins Paint
4 2 Feb 2020 9:47 17 mins paint
4 2 Feb 2020 10:16 13 mins Think
4 3 Feb 2020 8:58 52 mins Paint
4 3 Feb 2020 9:43 38 mins Paint and think
4 3 Feb 2020 10:08 15 mins Think
4 3 Feb 2020 14:18 48 mins Paint
4 3 Feb 2020 19:39 11 mins Think
5 4 Feb 2020 9:02 49 mins Paint knife arm, this looks better than the tracing paper
4 4 Feb 2020 16:32 70 mins Paint fork arm, still needs work
3 4 Feb 2020 18:43 38 mins Paint white on arms
4 4 Feb 2020 19:07 24 mins Remove white from fork arm
4 4 Feb 2020 19:14 7 mins Paint fork and black in eye
3 5 Feb 2020 14:39 14 mins Think
3 5 Feb 2020 15:15 30 mins Paint fork arm
4 5 Feb 2020 15:24 9 mins Paint white eye
4 5 Feb 2020 18:49 19 mins Touch up blue
I was particularly indecisive while painting this one, and went through far more ideas on tracing paper than usual. I haven’t touched it since the 5th of February, so I think it might be finished, but I haven’t signed it yet, so I’m not 100% committed. Also, this time log is for painting sessions only, and doesn’t include building, stretching, or priming, which I track as separate activities.