Too long of a break.
This is from my paint journal--well, one of them. (I have three, so far... mostly because I forget them when I travel and have to buy a new one on the road.) It's watercolor, something fairly new for me.
Another new thing I tried was using a photo editor on my cell phone. I photograph my paintings outside--it's cheaper than doing it in a studio, since you need all kinds of equipment to get the same effect as you would just stepping onto your porch or balcony. Sunny days are fine for that, but overcast days are better.
I think it worked out fine. I don't use a lot of effects, if any, on my paintings. All I do is straighten and crop, and my cell works fairly well for both taking the photo and editing. I don't think it captures all of the nuances, but it works for paintings I feel like posting and not selling. I could probably get similar results using a camera and sending the photos to my phone to edit.
I love living in an age where all this stuff is completely portable. I don't travel a lot, but I probably will more in the future, so it's nice to have everything I need right there in my backpack. (Typically I don't bother with an easel. Most of my paintings are small enough I can complete them at a table.)
I like trying to complete a painting a day. Painting is meditative for me, and I like that I can get the same effect as simply meditating, but having completed something creative by the end of the session. I guess it makes me feel more productive, even if the results aren't spectacular. I always feel better after painting no matter how demoralized and frustrated I feel going in. For that reason alone, it's worth doing.
