Blood, Sweat and Guilt

"Yellow"

Watecolor (unfinished) 22 x 30 inches

You may wonder what I am doing.

Truth known, I have been trying to finish a painting begun and painted 80% of the way last spring. It is still not done, but I am hard at work making adjustments. There are value revisions, temperature adjustments, edge modifications and all sorts of niggling things which need to be sorted out in this piece. As complex as it is, I may be flirting with the dreaded “overworked” look.

Having been again on the easel for a week, it is nagging my consciousness and am considering looking closely at it to see what I can learn from it and considering starting all over again.

Yes, you might well be correct. I might be nuts to do that. Something just isn’t singing out to me in this one,though. But I thought you’d like to see the progress and the struggles (and blood) of a suffering, frustrated painter attempting something far over his head.

I’ll let you in on another secret: It has been leaning against my studio wall since May (almost 6 months) 80% finished. I have been (yes, I am really saying this) reluctant to finish it for fear of ruining it. (There! I said it! The confession is out. Guilty !)

Finally, I had to face the truth: It can’t lean against the wall forever. It can’t go on unfinished; it would be worthless and end up in the trash. So, if that is where it is headed anyway, why not jump in knowing you might ruin it. It is already worthless!

So, here it is . . . .not quite resolved completely . . . .can you see my sweat and blood on it?