Frequently I get asked, “How long did it take you to paint that?” While I’m sure the inquirer is well meaning, this question is hard to answer. There are seven basic activities that go into each series I work on. Each one of these steps could take hours, days, or even weeks to complete.

1. Concept inspiration and creation
2. Composition planning through prototyping
3. Determine project budget
4. Material selection, purchase, and delivery to my studio
5. Material preparation
6. Painting
7. Documentation

I’m about half way through the activity steps for ProtoNext. In the pictures below I’m preparing birch panels, each one will need 3 coats of gesso before I can start painting. Over the past few days on Instagram I’ve been showing some of my completed composition plans, and as I finish works in the series I’ll post them there first. However each Saturday between now and when this series will be on display, the month of September at The Swiss Pub, I will blog progress updates and insight into the project itself. My goal is to have 140 completed for the show (and a friendly wager is set with a friend to light a fire under my feet for this painting challenge), once the entire series is complete there will be 160 5″x5″ original artworks. Wish me luck, I have 50 days left!