Winter, best time to get a coco and paint to great music!

I have tried for years to figure out when I am most creative. Turns out winter has to be it. The cold weather, the hot beverages, and music just bring this nostalgia part of my college days out. Looking out the massive windows in the studio, into what seemed an almost forest in the middle of the city. Westmount is still a beautiful old historical you could say wealthy area of Montreal, and it's where I went to College. Fall was equally beautiful there. And I also, think fall is a great time to reassess and plan new projects. I am a winter baby, maybe that has something to do with it, or that I am living in a big city, (Montreal, Quebec), and so my love for winter is welcomed in order for me to have this time to cocoon and process new ideas or old ones. With the exception of shovelling in a blizzard, it's beautiful to look at, Christmas would not be the same without the snow, and countless of other things would not be possible if we did not have this time of year. Besides, the air gets filtered and cleaned, and it's a time where I circulate the air inside to clear it out naturally. Works like a charm in a studio.

Today is a perfect example of this. It's minus 21 Celcius, the sun is out and the sky is crisp blue. I get very energetic on days like these, and the creativity just flows effortlessly. If it was not for the vast amounts of organzing I had to do today, I would solely focus on starting my new painting. I bought this contraption last fall to motivate me. I never had one all my life. It's a portable eisle. I got it from an estate sale at a good price and it's barely been used. It fits lots of tools and paints in the drawer, and has brass stoppers to adjust to any painting size no bigger than 24-28" if I am not mistaken. Once you finish a painting, you can actually carry it still wet without issues.
It's perfect to grab and go. Currently, I have this setup in the studio for me to paint my little paintings on. Why not? It's more practical than the larger eisle. Besides, like anything new to me, I have to get comfortable with it. I plan to do this shortly. I will post pictures of the paintings to come. I also encourage every artist to get one of these portable eisles not just for landscape or nature painters. Julian is a French company is supposedly making the best ones, but Mabef an Italian company, also makes great sturdy ones. I was looking into larger eisels and have found some impressive ones online. When the time is right, and I move, I will consider either building myself another eisel or getting one online with a pully system. I am thinking longterm, who wants to play tetris with their canvas that weighs a ton? not me! so this is something I will look into.

To end this post for today, I welcome everyone to join my social networks to stay tuned. I am most active on twitter so you can reach me there @studiocosentino.
 

it's not blank canvas syndrome... wish it was

It's been a while since I have written I should make it a habit. I am always giving advice to others so maybe I can have something of the sort happening here while my art is in contemplation. And while my jewelry line is as well. I picked up pliers yesterday it had been a while. I placed them neatly in their spot again and stared at them.
I was working in the studio, rearranging it after a few years it had been abandoned. The last painting on my easel was of my late mother. I just looked at it tried to think and feel and remember my last brushstroke on the painting, but I couldn't. I always kind of remember my last phase on a work.
I sorted everything out as best I could for now. I can squeeze fresh colors onto my palette and just go at it. Slap the paint on, or meticulously just dab it while I get lost in thoughts with music in the background a total must for me.
I can't bring myself to do either. I managed to sit and stare for some time. Not the blank canvas syndrome... just out right lost, daytime blankness starring. No sound, no music. Nothing. I was wondering if one day my ghost would haunt someone. My artist ghost. Scaring a perfectly young couple with random scrapings on canvas with brushes or palette knives, or echoes of my humming as I worked scaring the crap out of happy people.
I know the fundamental reason for this. It's been two days. I feel an emptiness. It's not my mom's unfinished portrait that's triggered this. I carefully placed it afloat the other paintings so I can easily grab it one day when I am ready to finish it if I ever do. It's something else.
I hope that whatever happened, whatever thing triggered this I pray it's temporary. I am never lost. I have become such a pillar in the craziest situations.
Live in hopes, as Mikki one of my bestie's says.