New paintings, hot off the easel, and some thoughts on art and life ...
Finished?
This painting may or may not be finished. Sometimes it's hard to tell. I'll let it sit in the studio for a few days while I start on something new. And in that time I'll keep an eye on it, waiting for something to scream out at me. Fix this! What were you thinking over here?
I've written before about the stages of painting, what I call the roller coaster ride. Excitement at the beginning, panic somewhere in the middle when problems crop up (and they always do), then love, love, love at the end. Crazy love that blinds you to mistakes. That's how it often goes for me, although there are sometimes paintings where I don't get to the love stage and they have to be hidden or destroyed.
After about a year, I can evaluate my work better and then, if I'm lucky, I still love it. Usually I at least like it. And always I can learn from it, either something positive to try in the next painting or a mistake to avoid in the future.
