an interesting thing to keep in mind while you are making a painting is that there is no formula for making/completing a painting. every artist has their own rituals that get them started on a new painting, but once they are in the thick of it there is no manual for them to follow. this can be an intimidating thought and at the same time, a liberating one. all options are open. no matter how long you have been painting and how many paintings you have made, the process you go through to complete each one is different in it’s own way. ‘so how do i know what to do?’, you might ask. the ways that i know i am on the right track are several at once; first, that i continue to be excited about what is forming in front of me, second, that new ideas keep percolating up that contribute to subject matter or improve my technique and finally that the ‘it’s done’ feeling has not surfaced yet. this last, the ‘it’s done‘ feeling is just as important to listen for as the ‘persistent good idea’ that got you started on the painting in the first place. knowing when to stop makes, what you are doing, a painting. if you pass this moment you will quickly loose interest in the painting and run out of ideas for improving it. and what you are looking at will be only decorative, at best.
back to ‘no manual’. this means that you must proceed with only one intent, to create an impact that holds your attention... you want to look and want keep looking and your mind is stimulated to travel through unique pathways and thoughts as you look. this way, you know that the same reaction will be stimulated in your viewer. this is an indication of a good painting. how you manage to get to this point is never easy and different each time. you can choose to sketch out the image overall first, or work one small area to a finished state then go on... you might draw from your imagination or draw from life and bring those images to your painting... you might stop work on an image for a long or short while, then return and continue till it’s done or you might want to stop again... but, when you know you want to stop for awhile, make sure you stop at a point where momentum is good. where you feel good about what is happening on the surface. then, when you come back, you will find it easy to jump back in and you look forward to the prospect (like a wonderful experience postponed).
