Spring in the Adirondacks, 7x5

Spring in the Adirondacks, pastel on board by Adriana Meiss

     This little pastel basically painted itself after a short break from the dust.  Paintings that "happen" this way always have a special spot in my heart. I get back to my pastels expecting a struggle and instead everything is smooth sailing.   The reference photo was from three years ago and it's been on top of my studio table, moving from one spot to another. Finally it was time to paint it. 

But was it really how it happened?  I've been reading Incognito a book about how the brain works by David Eagleman, and basically he says that most of our actions are processed in the brain way before we put them into action.  Is looking at a photograph for quite some time --for  weeks or months, a good way to start a painting?  Has my brain been painting this scene without my being aware of it?  Eagleman's book seems to infer that.  Maybe that's why most of the paintings in the "bad pile" are those started on impulse...  I hope this is food for thought, in the meantime, I'm going to tape some reference photos on the studio walls so that my brain can start the process...