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Do you find yourself in a hurry to finish a painting? Why? Is it because you need something new to post on Instagram or Facebook? Or is it because you are tired of working on it and just want to be done? Have you given up hope that it will turn out to be a decent piece of artwork? Do you have a deadline for a commission? (Ok, that last one is legitimate.)

I suggest that you take a deep breath, slow down, and enjoy the process. You've heard me say this before: If you don't know what to do, don't do anything. Set the painting aside. Look at it several times a day. If days go by and you still think it needs something (but you have no clue what that something is), you may need to put it away, out of sight and mind for awhile. In the meantime, work on something else; keep painting; keep learning.

The slowing down thing has been difficult for me, but I believe the results are worth it! At any given time, I have a number of works-in-progress in my studio. Some are very near completion, several are about midway through the painting, and a couple are at the beginning stage. I need to have paintings at every stage, because I never know what will motivate me the next time I walk into my studio. If I feel stuck, I begin with a negative painting piece. If I am determined to get some hard work done, I'll address a painting that is midway to completion. That's where the real challenges lie!

Starting a new painting is my favorite part! The progress you see (above) is what I would call the first layer:

I put down a light wash, then added details to various sections of the painting.

The bottom line is that I spend no more than an hour-and-a-half or so on any one piece on any given day (and I don't work on every painting every day). One pass per painting per day prevents me from going too far and overworking, and allows the watercolor to dry thoroughly between sessions. It also allows for a fresh perspective the next day and possibly a new direction. My practice of having so many paintings-in-progress is obviously not for everyone. But I do believe that everyone can benefit from slowing down.

Do you want to create good paintings or great paintings?

I get it. No one wants to take a workshop that will teach them how to paint more slowly. We all would love to be able to wave our paintbrushes around and have the perfect results within an hour or two. (There are very few artists, if any, that can do this on a regular basis...especially in watercolor!) I believe that if you learn to slow down, your paintings will improve. As I've written in a previous blog, watercolor artist Ted Nuttall calls it the "thoughtful application of paint."

I'm offering a small group Painting the Portrait in Watercolor workshop in March. It is three days of instruction, individual attention and careful painting. You will not be painting a portrait a day! If you follow my lead, you may not even finish one portrait over the three-day period. My goal is for you to relax, learn to enjoy the process, watch what watercolor can do, think about each step along the way, and stop overworking your paintings (if that is something that you struggle with).

What's your hurry?

Paint. Love. Repeat.