Changes

posted in: All, Art Lessons, Work in Progress | 9

“The whole must be greater than the sum of the parts”  -Herman Keys

What do you do when you’re attached to a painting in progress, but know it’s got problems? Like having a bad friend or troubled child, you might be tempted to overlook the flaws, perhaps even feel a greater affection because of them. But that doesn’t last forever. Sooner or later, something has to change.

The painting in question started off well enough. Taken from a small sketch, inspiration came in the form of a white cottage, dwarfed by larger structures. Power lines stretched overhead. A simple scene. Quiet and vulnerable.

AC.sketch.1

In the move from paper to canvas, complications arose. The format changed and another building needed to fill the space. Ocean City, a small beach town, began morphing into Atlantic City, complete with casinos sprouting up in the background. Power lines swelled.

AC3

I set the piece aside again and again, unable to move it forward. The composition felt awkward, too symmetrical and stiff. An ominous ferris wheel showed up dead center, only making matters worse. The Taj Mahal, meant to be threatening, looked like a domino. Unseasonal thunderstorms lurked on the horizon.

When something isn’t right, fix it. Take drastic measures if necessary. Never settle.

Postscript: My father was a Sunday painter; it was one of his many hobbies.  After his untimely death at the age of forty two, our family treasured the handful of paintings left to us. His rendition of Pope Pius hung in the living room for years, a solemn profile in red and white, head bowed, hands folded in prayer. We marveled at the quarter inch where a correction had been made in the position of the Pope’s ear.

Check this out Dad. You’d be proud of me.

OCcorrection

9 Responses

  1. Tito

    I enjoyed this entry. It’s not just about painting, you know.

  2. Denny Fechner

    What a wonderful blog about life. And the resulting painting is superb. Love it. Denny

  3. Rita Moffitt

    Amy, I love the final painting. it’s interesting how you got lost in the embellishments and so cool to go through your thought process. thank you for sharing the journey.

    • Leslie Lutz

      This reminds me of revising a novel. For me, revising a novel sometimes feels like trying to pick up a mattress by yourself. Pick up one end, and the other side falls. Sometimes that means the only solution is to make brave and drastic change.

      • artconsp

        My dear friend! So glad to hear from you. A long overdue email is coming your way. xoxoxoxo

  4. Jennifer

    Your blogs are also messages about life: when something needs fixin’, sooner or later you’re gonna have to fix it. Clearly, Amy, you are long past spending too much time justifying what isn’t working. I love and appreciate seeing what isn’t working and the fix. Thank you!

  5. simonetta

    “What do you do when you’re attached to a painting in progress, but know it’s got problems? ” cross the word painting, replace it with writing, and you could have written about me at this very time. Love the way you describe the process, through which makes me realize that all creative arts go through the same dilemmas…. this makes them easier to bear, and always uplifts me . thank you.
    beautiful painting by the way…. especially seeing the way it developed.

Leave a Reply to artconsp Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *