Monochromatic under painting and meditation...

Today I spent most of my time in the studio working on this layer of the painting.  First I mix a string of values using raw umber and flake white.  Then lay in a the values as I see them, trying to retain transparency in the darkest areas.  This is an oddly satisfying process.

In fact, life is quite stressful at the moment, and it's the time spent at the easel that I am reminded how lucky I am to be an artist.  The act of painting often takes my mind to a calm meditative state.    No matter what is going on around me I can find some peace and contentment there.