Every time I apply gesso I learn something. In this case, I learned about the extra patience needed when applying each coat in the summer’s humidity. In the winter, with a nice dry space, a nice thick coat of gesso can be built up in under two hours. Today, the work took the whole morning.
In reading old texts about the subject I’m always struck by how all these processes were seen within a seasonal framework up until the 1930’s. Often these books state things like, “Lumber should always be cut in winter.” and “Gesso should be applied at night”. Of course, this is being stated because of the beneficial conditions that are natural during that season or time of day, and I’ve learned a lot about certain processes by paying attention to this.
But, I always like this approach because of the broader view it champions of life. It is an illusion that I can choose to have things whenever I want. It’s oftentimes better if I listen, see what life is offering, and then work in that direction. If I could keep this in mind every day, I’d save myself a lot of frustrations.