That awkward stage

A 24×30 inch canvas in progress

I have a house full of adolescents. Paintings that are well underway but are at a transitional phase. They are developing their sense of color and contrast but don’t really know where they are going quite yet. They present unforeseen challenges? How can I move them along? How can I generate motivation to get going? They challenge me and I give them a time out. I’ll see if anything has changed when I get back to them. So infuriating and frustrating but they are mine and I love them. With proper nurturing and guidance they will become wonderful and purposeful examples of my art.

You can’t give up on a canvas with thin washes, sketchy guidelines and multiple corrections taking place all over it. The colors are flat. Things aren’t harmonizing.Take a breath and get that brush going. Sharpen the corners and lines. Reinforce the values. Push the chroma where it counts. Glaze where necessary. Step back. View the piece in the mirror. Gradually, something starts happening. The character develops as the brushwork becomes more detailed, and as you bring the textures into focus.

Greenpoint, Brooklyn scene in progress

So don’t leave it sitting in the corner or worse, at the bottom of some stack. They’ll make you proud someday