Getting Across The Finish Line

How do we know when a painting is finished? It's finished when...

• We decide we're tired of working on it
• There's nothing we want to add, change, or remove
• When our critique group says it's done
• When it sells, and it's out of our hands

But what of the paintings that we put aside because we're not quite SURE what to do with them? My stack of "also-rans" are in a corner of the garage where I can easily access them. But why would I *want* to go back to an old incomplete painting after so many years? Because there's *something* there I haven't resolved. Like little sleeping beauties, these abandoned paintings are waiting to be awakened from their deep slumber. I find that the passing of time, and years of painting experience have given me the wisdom to know HOW to finally finish or revive these paintings! It's exhilarating to take these humble "starts" and reshape them into new, fully realized paintings.

My most successful "do-overs" are those in which very little of the original painting is visible in the final version. For whatever reason, I find it less intimidating to cover up an old painting than to face possibly "ruining" a fresh piece of expensive paper. A painting that's already in the junk pile can't get any worse, right? I've revived hundreds of paintings this way, and each one is a triumph of will----sort of like solving the Saturday New York Times crossword puzzle, but with a paintbrush.

Below is one of my recent makeover paintings---I transformed it from figures to flowers in the course of a day. It's all about knowing what to cover up and what to leave alone. And as always, I try to balance the color, shapes, and composition to create a pleasing finished piece. "Floral Trio #3: Blue Flowers on Orange"; acrylic marbling on paper, 13 x 13".