Something is beginning to happen. I start to feel energy and emotion, and really start to play with my colors. I begin to use just a touch of the linseed oil that can be used with water-soluble paints. I dip my brush into the water, blot it on a rag, add just a touch of oil, then blot that on a paper towel. I put my brush into the white paint on my palette, mix it into the paint to get the consistency I want while still trying to keep the layer thin. I add more of the white to the center of the yellow.
"I mix a little Prussian blue in with the ultramarine blue to make the surrounding areas darker. I mix some alizarin crimson right on the canvas into the blue areas to get a purple hue here and there, then I add a touch of white to that. I decide to remove the blue wavy lines and do something else instead with alizarin crimson. Oil painting is very forgiving; colors can always be changed or gone over.
"I decide to make some lines and curves with the crimson around and through the yellow–orange area and over the blue surrounding areas. I also want some softness, so I start to add some white to the blue. I curve my brush strokes so that I can get a swirling form. I am still undecided on where I want this to go, but I am beginning to like what I see.
"I usually leave my canvas for a day, so that the layer I just painted can dry somewhat before I put on another layer. If I start painting again on it too soon I can pull off the previous layer of paint while putting on the new one."
