And so today I begin

This 10 x 24 inch study is to become a 26 x 62 finished painting. And as Linus from Peanuts said, "There is no heavier burden than great potential."

I have the canvas and the stretcher bars but first I have to enlarge the sketch. Today out comes the original sketch and the butcher paper. I will tape butcher paper together and trim to the finished size and then start folding. Rather like a huge origami project both the original sketch of the 10 x 24 and the blank paper for the new sketch will be folded and halves and half again and then in quarters.and quarters again - horizontal and vertical. Both will then be unfolded and flattened out. The creases will serve as markers for placement of the features of the canyon walls enlarged 260% or at least so my proportional scale informs me.

All this goes to show that artists are not merely creative beings that paint willy nilly. We have to be draftsmen, problem solvers and, heaven forbid, have a passing knowledge of math and geometry. We will see just how well I solve this problem! Biggest problem I foresee at this point - a table big enough to draw on. Might just have to clean all the junk off the dining room table.

I am constantly challenged by flat surfaces. The taunt me into filling them so they are no longer flat.