Tired of Layered Gelatos Yet?

Layered Gelatos on Oil Painting Paper

You would think I'd get tired of layering Gelatos, but not yet!  I'm not sure why this medium/technique has taken hold of me the way it has, other than it is easy, fast, and I love moving the Gelatos around with my fingers.  The Stabilo pencil draws easily on top.

The first layer (orange and ochre) is a combination of finger painting and dripping.  The subsequent layers are done with a brush.  This one has more layers and took longer to do, because I originally had some red and melon on it which I covered up with more blue and green.  It is surprising to me how well the Gelatos cover.  

That's how I discovered this process initially.  It was an experiment to see how well the Gelatos would cover.  I think that I will be much more experimental in the future, and that is definitely a good thing.  I have lacked confidence in the past, preferring to follow a tried and true process from more experienced artists.  Maybe this is part of what appeals to me about this process:  the mere fact that I discovered it for myself. 

So, I guess I learned a larger lesson than just how to layer Gelatos.  A lesson about experimentation and ultimately about fear.  I have often read, "It's only paper, right?"  I understood this rhetorical question intellectually, but understanding something intellectually isn't the same as overcoming the fear of making a mistake, of ruining a piece.  As I get older I realize that real learning only comes with making mistakes.  And if I don't try new things I'll never make mistakes, will I?