Lots of toned ground

Yesterday was a day of preparation. I have had in my mind, for some time, an idea to do a triptych for the kitchen of my son and his wife. A still life on unframed canvases that involves a lot of bright colors (reds and blues and oranges - a ewer and fruits. I have also prepared a canvas covered board with a toned ground for a new painting I want to do of the little boat - this time, the boat will be sitting in a flat sea at sunrise.
So for right now, I have my models in place for the triptych and the canvases toned, and the canvas covered board is toned for the new 'boat' painting.

I plan to experiment a little, this time, with the idea of doing an underpainting in acrylic for the triptych, rather than oil. I am hoping the acrylic will work out as the underpainting, because it will let me work faster.

I purchased a couple of gessoed hardboards, yesterday, as well. As an experiment. They also, have been toned. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with them, yet. They haven't really spoken to me, yet. I don't know what they want to be.

It's a lot like the story of Sarah, really. I don't create the story. I'm just the vehicle the characters use to write the story. I really feel that the same voice that wants me to paint is the voice the characters have found in the story of Sarah. And the pieces of canvas or board, or whatever the new support is, speak in the same way - they tell me what they want to be - what they're going to be.

I know, I know, it sounds pretentious ... and a little weird. But I don't know where this stuff comes from - and that sounds as reasonable an explanation as any. To me.

Peace.