In a series, paintings play leapfrog with each other, moving ahead and falling back in an asynchronous dance, until one by one they’re finished. This interplay between individual pieces and the ability to have one help the others along is the very best reason I know for painting in a series.

When we’ve seen something again and again, it becomes so familiar that we start to glaze over. What you desperately need is to see your work with fresh eyes. And fortunately, there are a multitude of ways to get that “first time” feeling with your now-so-familiar painting.

I work more slowly in the middle stage. Playfulness alternates with watchfulness. I am now more aware of questions of composition, design and colour. And there are LONG periods of looking!

Beginning! In the span of a painting’s creation, this is when I have the greatest opportunity to play freely, to experiment, to be reckless if that’s the mood I’m in. This is when there’s the highest likelihood of discovering something new in my work. This is when magic sometimes happens.

Working in a series is a powerful tool for learning and maintaining forward momentum. Here’s why I do It!