Mornings Are For Planning (and Coffee)

Mornings are my time to sit with the work I’ve recently created.

From my desk, the lighting really hits its peak around 8 am-9 am. With the one hour of optimal sunlight at my workstation, I brew a pot of coffee and sit with my work. What am I looking for? It depends. Sometimes I’m looking at the true color of a painting I’m currently working on, how it intertwines with the paper, and the layers that came before it. Other times, I’m admiring the texture that comes alive on the paper or canvas. It isn’t always obvious how the texture will materialize while I’m painting, so it’s always a pleasant surprise once it has dried.

Close up of “A Broody Mood”

I’ve always been a night owl. But as I get older, I’m learning to appreciate the dawn as a time to sit with my thoughts and plan my day before my son, Chai, wakes up. I can sprawl all my works-in-progress on the floor and think about what colors work, which pieces are done, and ready to be photographed, and so on.

The morning’s rays fade away from my workspace by 11 am, and at this time, I would have decided to paint, of which, I’ll have until 2 pm to do so before all natural light is gone (at least the decent light for painting).

Abstract painting often gets the reputation of being thoughtless art. As an abstact painter, I can say that it’s one of the most thoughtful methods of painting. I’m constantly thinking of the implications of each brushstroke, my color choice, and what each mark is saying. The mornings allow me to focus on the vibe I’m trying to convey so when it’s time to paint, I know what needs to happen…at least for the most part.