@price1972 I dug up my little description of my creative process for this plein air piece. I hate to admit it, but this is 100% accurate.
1) Feel crappy. Pack up paints and drag ass out into the woods anyway
2) Find spot, begin carefully unpacking paints, brushes, thinner, etc
3) Stop to pet old dog.
4) Try to shove old dog at least 3 inches away from body, so unpacking can continue
5) Mrow???
6) {Sigh} Here kitty, I didn’t mean to leave you behind (yes, I did)
7) Cat presses in between dog and painter’s body
8) Pause to pet dog and cat, balancing painting materials very carefully on lap
9) Shove dog and cat away
10) Try to squeeze out paint on palette
11) (young dog) HERE I AM! DID YOU MISS ME! PET ME!
12) Young dog tries to squeeze between old dog and painter’s body.
13) Brisk dogfight ensues
14) Painter holds tight to painting materials until fight subsides
15) Sets brushes off to left side, away from dogs
16) Removes cat from brushes
17) Sternly removes cat from brushes
18) Pauses to brush leaf debris from canvas, work space, and brushes
19) Frantic tail-wagging flings more leaf debris and one small tick, which crawls menacingly across canvas
20) Stops to squish disease-ridden tick
21) Finally manages to get paint on palette
22) “Your hat is in my way, I’m going to remove it so I can purr directly in your ear"
23) Removes cat patiently and gently from shoulder
It took a while to get started, but once I did I painted with absolutely no skill whatsoever. Interruptions were continual. The final result (approximately 1/3rd of a small canvas,) bears no resemblance whatsoever to my prior work or any work I ever hope to complete in the future. A graceless rendering of a small forest stream whose painter had repeatedly been interrupted BY STINKING DOGS AND CATS.
(although further work did improve it, and my first impression may have been colored by frustration)