The Artistic End Game

For me, the painting process has three distinct stages. 

The first stage is my favorite. It’s a honeymoon where everything is new and full of possibility. There is an intention, but not a fixed destination. As a matter of fact, if I get things “right” too soon, there’s no reason to layer, shift, change, adjust…..you know, where all the fun stuff happens. In stage one, there is the most freedom. 

Stage two is problem solving, in part due to my wild abandon in stage one. I’ve gotten myself into some amount of “trouble,” which is another word for opportunity. This is the heart of all creative work. Faith comes into play. Because no matter how how experienced or enthusiastic, at some point your piece is going to look all wrong (if you’re doing it right) and you feel a bit lost. The colors are too dark, the forms too messy, or the thing just looks damn ugly. But when the process allows for infinite layering (as long as your paper or canvas holds out), the key to success is to keep showing up. 

Stage Three is a unique kind of hell. Stage Three is the “finishing” stage. Most of your options are closed off (or at least it feels that way), and you’re just trying get the thing done without wrecking it. I like to tell my students that you have to be brave and willing to risk it all right up to the very end. In practice (and with a deadline), this is hard to do. 

I’m working on an exhibit of new work and currently have 17 painting “in progress.” They are all in Stage Three. If you’ve read this thus far, you know what this means for me. Each piece has a few (or a bunch) of small things that I want to “tweak.” Sometimes I work for an hour or so, and can’t tell the difference from when I started. Do these small changes add up to anything? I’m not entirely sure.

What I do know is that my deadline approaches, so the end is nigh.