Painting--A work in Progress

As an experiment you'll see here three steps

in the evolution of the painting called "And Now."

It was a good lesson for me to observe the changes that happen.

Someone asked me once--How do you know when a painting is finished?

The reply--When the only option I have is to start over.

There is always some little spot you can be grateful for.

Some part that works.

(But then--It might not work tomorrow like the orange sky here.)

Painting is for me like a mathematical equation.

It's a matter of adding and letting go.

At the beginning there is the idea--the shape.

When it's roughed out-

on to the coloring.

That's another balancing act.

And all along the journey new ideas--ways of seeing--

appear.

So the challenge then is letting go of something I liked yesterday

for something else that seems better today.

The question becomes--

does this face(for instance) that I really like. I think I did a good job on it.

I'm afraid I won't be able to ever do another one as good.....

The question is--

does the face work here. In this painting. At this time.

It is difficult to go against those fears,

but it is just another opportunity to let go.

One challenge after another.

I guess, you could consider working on a painting like

working on a chapter of your life.

It ends up one way,

but looking back as I did through the photos along the way--

there were a variety of directions the painting could have taken.

And yet something at each step

determined the direction.

At the end when I think that I've done all I can do,

The painting moves to the side--

And another canvas steps forward.