Every artist has their own routine before starting to paint.  For some reason, I noticed today how robotic I am with how I set everything up.  I wanted to share the exact process I go through before I start painting for the day.  Keep in mind that, although this is very consistent from day to day, it does change over time because of new supplies, techniques, etc.  I want to be very thorough because it helps me most when artists are specific about their process, even the little things.  Here is the detailed list:

1. Brush my fingers over the bristles of the brushes I used the day before.  This gets rid of the dry soap I leave in for conditioning.  It’s also a way to initiate my tired body into work mode.

2. Pull out a new rag.  I fold it in half to better absorb the paint.  If I don’t, it immediately bleeds through onto my fingers.  I am a neat freak and hate to get dirty!

3. Pour a little bit of medium into a small metal cup and move it to the left of my easel onto a side table.

4. Squeeze my paints onto my wooden palette.  It never fails that I get angry at how hard one of the tubes of paint is to open even though I used it the day before.

5. Uncover my turpentine can.

6. Pull my mahl stick off of my pegboard.

7.  Push my chair back so I have room to walk back and look at my painting.

8.  Pull my easel up to my painting area.

9.  Stand and stare until the urge to paint comes out!  This part usually takes the longest and is the most frustrating.