Reworking a Painting, Progress Report
March 9, 2011
Just in case you missed the recent blog post about the Before and After Challenge, check it out here.
My before and after challenge is ongoing. Here is the current state of my painting. Shown at the top is the most recent version, in which I added subtle layers of colors and strokes. Below that is how it looked yesterday. I don’t know where this will lead, but that’s how I like to work.
Current Painting - Work in Progress
Before Version - Canvas size 30 Inches Square
Just for fun, here is how my formerly pristine table cover looks today. This buildup will continue for months and maybe a year or more.
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An Artist's Journal 
I love the depth and subtlety that came about in the re-work. And not knowing where it will lead, isn’t that half the fun (more than half, I’m sure!). Inspiring as always.
Thanks, Chris. Yes, that’s what I love. I’m stuck now, afraid of what to do to it next, because I like it as is. But it needs something more.
Martha, you are inspiring me to get busy and rework some of my own paintings. I love the direction your rework is heading. That little bit of blue creates a bit of mystery for me. I find myself making up little stories about the painting. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next!
Julie, that’s the best thing of all about painting, isn’t it – allowing the viewer to make up her own stories. That blue shows up rather isolated on screen. In real life, there are little touches of the same blue scattered in the lower half of the painting.
I love it as is Martha, but will be looking forward to the next post if you add more.
Thank you, Mary! You probably know me well enough to know I can’t leave it alone! 😉
I am looking forward to seeing how you solve it. That’s one of the fun things about painting – solving “problems” your own unique way.
It is, Leslie! Sometimes these problems keep me awake at night, but in a good way.
i really like where this one is going… the texture, the depth, and i think there is a flavour that resonates with mystery
do you know of maxine masterfield and her book painting the spirit of nature?
Yes, Nancy! I love that book by Maxine Masterfield and have it here somewhere. I met her once in Florida as she was taking down a show in the same gallery where I was getting ready to hang my show. I was able to tell her personally how much I have enjoyed her book over the years. It definitely has a great approach to randomness and serendipity in art.
I love, love the bright turquoise shing through! How on earth did you do that? I is like winter sky, like ice, supernatural translucence!
Eva, so glad you like that little shot of turquoise. I did that with a brayer full of paint lightly applied to the texture. And you know me – brave! 😉