Friday, July 11, 2014

The Unfinished Work

I recently saw a picture of a lovely vase online that really got me thinking.  It had graceful lines but the potter had taken it a step further and made marks in the clay to enhance it.  I took a pottery course way back, and looking at that picture I couldn't help thinking that I would have been afraid to wreck such a perfect piece by intentionally making marks on it.  Why take the chance of ruining something that has worked out so well? Yet, those marks were exactly what made the vase special.

I've been told, on several occasions, that I'm brave to attempt some of the things I do, whether it be by writing for publication or simply trying to paint something I've never tried before.  There always seems to come a point when I stop fiddling with what I'm working on. I become afraid that I will destroy what I have already created. That's when I usually decide something is finished and move on to something else.

I do, however, have a painting underway that I put aside and have not worked on for more than a year. I liked how it was going, but felt it needed something in the lower right hand corner. I don't know what that something is, as there is nothing there in the photo I took. I just know it will not be finished until I do something with that corner.  I have been afraid I will ruin what I've done so far by adding the wrong thing.  I have never stepped away from a painting this long before. At this point, I'm even afraid my style will be so different after all this time that whatever I do add will be entirely too noticeable.

I like what I've done so far.  Instead of adding something that doesn't exist, maybe I just need to make some marks.  Soon.

1 comment:

  1. What about something like a dog standing watch in the field? You've done some amazing things with pet photos I've seen ;)

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