Sunday, December 5, 2010

Painting Stopping in a More Interesting Place

"A painting is never finished; it simply stops in interesting places."--Paul Gardner

Several months ago I did a painting that continued to bother me.  I am sharing this to show my students that a painting can be improved as you learn more and more.  My husband the scientist thinks I should keep the painting as it was and do another...and another...and another.  Who needs all those paintings around to haunt us?  To prove that we are improving?  We artists know that we will continue to learn and grow as long as we keep applying newer and better techniques, experiment with new mediums, introduce new colors to our palettes.  But just redoing the same painting without knowing what we are doing to change is futile. 

He suggested taking photos to show myself I am growing.  No thanks.  Not a science project.  However if you want to see this painting as it was in April, click here.

This is where it has stopped today.  And who knows?  Maybe it isn't finished yet.  I can see that the frond is "kissing" the horizon.  And I am always saying, "No kissing!"  Also the focus is too close to dead center.  And the horizon is cutting the painting in half.

But this is where it is today.  And I may fix those things tomorrow.




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