Tuesday, September 15, 2009

When Do You Call a Painting Done?


The Completed Painting (see September 10th post)
Winter's Glow     SOLD      
I called it done two nights ago.  When do you know when a painting is done? I would love your feed-back on this subject. Since this is not exactly a new painting for you the viewer but rather a follow up on a previous blog, I have added a second painting to show you . I did not paint this today, but it is a recent painting completed a short while ago..........and the painting is......Drum Roll da da da dum da da!!!!


Solitude
11 x 14
       Painting on Pastelboard        $275


The inspiration for this painting is the glow of the sunrise I was fortunate enough to observe on my way hiking out of the Grand Canyon after staying several days at Phantom Ranch. Not a sight one would expect at the bottom of the Grand Canon. But there it was and it was awsome.

9 comments:

  1. Stunning, and sure to be a wonderful memory for you each time you view it. As far as when is a painting done?? I think it is subjective. When I can look at it, and don't see something that needs to be fixed, I call it done and sign it.

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  2. your paintings are beautiful! sort of elusive!....... as far as the subject of how do you know if you are finished.....most of the time it is just a gut feeling for me....but then somtimes it is like a saying i have heard "it takes two to do a painting; one to paint and one to shoot the painter".....also i have been very pleased with paintings and not look at them for several months and somthing will just jump out at me; how did i not see how much better this would look, if i just do this or that

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  3. These evoke emotion. Makes me want to get out my pastels. Nice.

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  4. gossimer, etheral,sensitive - what lovely words for the work you do. You seem to snatch that moment right of the air!
    When is it finished? you know, and some never are!

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  5. Anita, So glad to come over to your blog...these are magnificent! Soft and impressionistic and yet a beautiful sense of representation. Your lilies are very inspiring too, as I definitely go through my flower phases! I look forward to seeing more.

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  6. Carol and Dana. I agree with both of you. Very well put. On some paintings I know that it's definitely done while others may take months. Thank you Carol,Dana,Julie,Robin and Karen for your compliments. I feed on them when I'm struggling.

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  7. Both of these are very nice!

    I TRY to remember the advice to stop a few strokes before you think it's done.
    But sometimes, I keep "finding improvements" until it's this whole other painting".
    That's a tough question- When is it done?
    Sometimes I like to leave mine a little half-baked.
    These 2 look perfect. If something wasn't really bothering me or begging to be done, then it's done.

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  8. Thank you Jill. It is one of the toughest questions to answer. Your answer is a good one . Now to check out your blog.

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