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Are you a morning person? I am. When I start a new project, it usually must be early in the day. Otherwise, will I have the energy to stay with it—to do a good job? This, most likely, comes from years of rising at 4:30 a.m. to be at work by 6:30 or 7.

Recently, my morning was spent on the computer working on an organizational newsletter. Going to the kitchen for lunch, I spied the sun on brilliant yellow coreopsis through my back door. Striking! You guessed it. I started a new painting after lunch. Afternoon Yellow (12x12) is the result. I cut the bunch, plopped them into a white vase and mindlessly ate lunch while staring at them. There are times when it takes hours or days to plan and set up a still life. By 2 p.m. the coreopsis were in a different vase and on a velvet cloth and under a studio light. A morning painting probably would have been done outside. Keeping it simple made for a quicker finish.
Funny (you know this, I’m sure) if you just start painting, you forget:
--you are tired
--your energy is low
--you are pre-occupied

--you’re afraid you won’t finish that day
Likely, more time and thought would have produced a better composition but I had a good time doing this one. And, I was reminded to just start!