Diary of a Mad Painter (like "Diary of a Mad Housewife")

I paint only with oil paint- I paint from photos, I usually do my set-ups, then photograph them--I do this as I am slow painter and my flowers would wilt or my fruit would rot--I work full time so generally I paint on week-ends so photos work well. After I put in a wash,I get serious and paint everything the best I can,I think it looks good when I go to bed, then when I wake up the next day I usually hate it so I go over it again--always improving (I hope) but by unexplainable reasoning I can see it better so I know what to fix. This may go on for several painting sessions. That's when magic happens--it is sooo ugly, then all of a sudden it comes together! When I am finished, I never am--I always go back and enhance after it has set for a week or so. It seems like I have to live with it for a while to really see the thing. It's a struggle till it's over then it doesn't seem like a struggle. Painting is strange that way.