Painting – The Art of Patience

Gia

On my recently created artworks in progress page, I made a comment about having more than one artwork in progress, and knowing when to leave one alone and move on to the next.

Steve Smith, artist and long time internet friend immediately understood the implications of this, and expanded on it with his own story. One I have similarly experienced. So I am going to quote his comment here; a true Cinderella story.

I fully get the part about setting a piece of art to the side, one is frustrated with, and coming back to it later. I’ve destroyed many pieces of my art in frustration of the results gotten at the time, then months or years later I find a shred of the long forgotten artwork and upon looking at it again, say to myself, ” HEY! that wasn’t all that bad.”

Dream Matter No. 25, which is in the International Surrealism Now exhibition, was in the trash can out in the garage for a couple of months. Then one day, while passing by the trash can with a conté in my hand, I picked the drawing up out of the trash and made a few marks here and there and it was completed. From a trash can in the US to a palace in Portuagal… ha,ha.

I’m really glad we don’t use the trash can in the garage much.

My own story is very similar. I had a very good lesson years ago, on not giving up on an artwork. I had one piece I was going to destroy, but then six months later, it was the one that everyone was interested in. It ended up being the centre piece in my solo exhibition and sold!

Now I am far more patient with my artworks. I also no longer hide, or store away works in progress, rather I hang them on the studio walls. This means no artwork is ever forgotten, it is always present. This means when ever inspiration strikes for a particular piece, I can take it off the wall, and execute the vision.

Stepping into my studio, is like stepping into my creative head. There are colours and ideas no matter where you look.