The Painting That Took Me Over 500 Hours - Part 1

Have you ever heard of the idea that it takes 10 000 hours to "master" something? I keep track of how long each painting I do takes me, partly because it helps me set the price fairly - but also because I want to reach 10 000 hours painting Mandalas and become a Master Mandala Painter! So far I'm at about 7800 hours. Back in 2016 when I was almost at 5000 hours, I decided to do a big painting with the most detail I'd ever done - plus a little something special! I was thinking of it as my "Half Masterpiece"

I got the blank canvas as a Christmas present from my parents for Christmas 2015. It's 48 x 48 inches. At the time I'd only done one other painting this size before. I was excited to see what it would turn into!

The first step to creating one of my paintings is to create a pattern. For me it's the part I find the most fun. I never really know what they'll turn out like when I start with a small dot in the middle. I made the dot in the middle of this one as the clock struck midnight on New Years Eve to start 2016. For this one just creating the pattern took me almost a month. I do all my work freehand, I never use geometry tools or a ruler. In some places where the lines are thicker, it was to make corrections in the symmetry as I noticed them

After the pattern is done, the next step is to color it in. That's always the longest part. For this one it took me almost 2.5 months coloring it in, 2-4 hours a night just about every night. Part of the reason it takes so long is it needs 2 coats of paint in some places, so that adds to the time it takes. I've always loved earth tones, so I went with those colors. I sort of wanted it to show a connection to nature.

Once the pattern is colored in, the next part is to go over the outline again.It tightens up the pattern, and I use different colors to add extra contrast between sections. When I finish this part, I know I'm getting close to the end. The next phase is to add dots and details that really bring it to life and add even more contrast. I have a lot of fun doing the details, it's probably the least structured part of my process. When I get to the details, I feel a bit like I'm playing compared to coloring it in, which can be more like a test of patience than super fun lol

Stay tuned for Part 2 - the details, and a really cool surprise! -Adam

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