I really must try to do a better job on this blog.  It is no wonder I only have three followers!  I might need to consider changing the title of my blog, since not much painting has happened in my studio in quite some time.  All work of late has been in graphite, which I am enjoying very much.  The posted photo is of my latest, a portrait of my dear friend's two cats.  Working on this was fun, since I know and love these two kitties well.
On to the next project, which, if I do things as I should, will be more sketching practice than working on a specific drawing.  Sketching needs to be a priority so I can more easily do quick studies of scenes/animals, etc. that I happen upon.  When I do a specific work, thumbnails need to be a priority.  My planning has been lacking and I need to spend the time getting the entire composition arranged and values arranged before starting.  It is hard for me to do.  An interesting scene presents itself and all I want to do is get it into a completed work as soon as I can.  The main subject goes fine but then I am presented with figuring out how to put in a background and foreground without messing up what I have worked so hard on.  Planning is something that has to be done, as I have been told repeatedly and agree with. I just have a hard time slowing down enough to actually do it! 
Today will be spent in planning two ideas I have.  With Stars of Texas art show entries due in just over a week, my inclination is to whip something out but must resist that temptation.
Last week Hubby and I visted my studio, which is being built in Abilene.  It is coming along but not nearly as quickly as I would like.  Electricity has been run so next step is insulation and paneling.  Hopefully it will be ready for delivery by the end of the month but not holding my breath.  The crew that was working on it quit last week so not even sure a new crew has been hired!  Frustration!  Once it is here and all set up, will be so nice to have a quiet place to work without phones, temptations of the electronic kind (computer) or a dog who wants to go in and out every five minutes.
Another constant distraction is the outdoors, which calls to me.  Living in the country is wonderful and being out in the beauty of Nature inspires me.  What I need to do, yes another thing for my list of goals, is go ahead and spend more time outside but with sketchbook in hand.  Back to those sketches.  I originally said that I was going back to graphite to work on the basics and for help getting values correct.  What I really need to do is truly go back to basics and sketch, sketch, sketch.  Gesture drawings of the animals I normally take photos of would help as well.  I can see that my problem is being in a hurry to be able to make art comparable to an artist who has been working at their art for many years and I have only just begun.  My time spent working on art doesn't help either, need to do more.  Same song, second verse.  What I need to do is obvious, actually doing it is the challenge!
Seems this blog entry has turned into more of a journal.  As I wrote, more things occured to me and realizations made.  It may not make for interesting reading for others but sure did help my journey.