Boats in the Harbor, Oil, 12" x 12" SoldI am posting more boat reflections today because the painting I started this morning, that I thought would be great, has been "scraped" twice. I think the scene I am painting is too busy and I can't figure out how to simplify it ... I think I am afraid I will lose too many of the reflections. So I have finally put it aside and moved on to another painting. I have learned recently there is a time to walk away from a painting before I get too frustrated. If I don't I might not paint again for weeks.
I wonder how many other artists experience daily highs and lows of good and bad paintings. Some of the blogs I visit regularly have beautiful paintings every single day. With me however, I find that one day I will be on a roll and have so much success ... and yet my next painting will be a flop. Go figure. It's kind of like the first night your baby sleeps through the night ... all mothers try to duplicate everything they did the day before convinced the daily routine was the reason their precious child finally slept through the night ... only to find out it was a complete fluke. My paintings are a bit like that! There appears to be no rhyme or reason why they work one day and why they don't the next!
This week's theme will be "Reflections" again ... Send me your ideas for future themes!
6 comments:
Leslie, I can tell you that I have more bad days then good as I have progressed. I see more and expect more. I have learned to walk away only recently and just move on. Sometimes I ponder the problem and sometimes it is not the best thing for me to do and again I move on.
I must say that I totally enjoy your work. They are vibrant and so exciting in your color and beautiful texture. You are an inspiration to watch. Looking forward to see more boats and reflections.
Dori,
Yo are too kind! I must admit it is nice to know that I am not the only one struggling out there but nothing in life is easy, right? Especially hte things we really enjoy. I am cranky right now because I just found out I have jury duty tomorrow. Yikes!
Very appealing work!
Leslie,
I saw a documentary of the late Fritz Scholder, in which he takes a painting out of his drying bins, and cuts it up with a box cutter, saying it 'defied' him. He explains that he'll work on a painting on and off for a long time (his paintings show that he frequently 'reworked'), but sometimes the painting never comes together -- those he just destroys, and said that it gave him some satisfaction.
...The frustration lies somewhere in our inability to understand what the painting is telling us it needs, I think -- a one-sided conversation.
Dori, Bill & Edgar,
Thank you for your stories and for helping me realize that it is not just me and a common frustration shared by artists. I think I already knew that but I was just venting for the day ... oh well. Back to the easel (As soon as I get this jury duty thing out of the way ...).
I love your style, and the red and the blue.
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