This week has been a slow one for me (painting wise). I have quite a number of paintings I started, but am having a hard time progressing further. I figured I would share a piece that I am currently working on, and happy with, but also struggling to finish. I think it needs a little more, but I can’t figure out what exactly that is, and that is something that I do not like to force.In the past, I’ve made the mistake of trying to forge on, hoping that the piece will come together in the end if I just keep painting. What ends up happening is that I get frustrated, cover the whole piece in black paint, and sit there wishing I had stopped when my gut told me to. Through tons of trial and error, I’ve learned to walk away from my art temporarily if it stop speaking to me during the process of creation.
So, I’ve let myself step away from the piece, but now what? This brings up the issue of figuring out how to reconnect with a painting that you don’t know how to finish. That is point I have reached with this piece. What do I do? Every time I have a painting session, I make sure the pice that has been haunting me is in sight while I work. When I’m not painting, I leave it in a spot that allows me to see it often, like the kitchen. This forces me to think about the piece basically everyday. Eventually, something usually clicks, and I figure out what it is I want to do with the rest of the piece.
However, there are also plenty of times that this doesn’t really work, which leads me to leaving the painting alone for a while. This can be just as beneficial, and maybe even better than forcing myself to look at the ppiece everyday. After all, art requires patience, and takes time. I started this one about a week ago, and the longer I look at it, the happier I feel about it. Maybe this piece is finished? Maybe inspiration will strike tomorrow morning? Only time will tell.