Re work, Re imagining, Re finish!

It's common to reach the end of a painting and need to let it sit for a few days, to a week, before I can ascertain if it's completed done. Often times I find myself making small adjustments to these nearly finished paintings. Reaching that point where you feel a painting to be complete, can be tricky. A good number of years ago it was clearer to me; I painted faster and never looked back. However in recent times I have gained great pleasure in reevaluating a painting that I viewed as complete and giving it a little adjustment. Sometimes these paintings I have stored for a year or two, before revisiting.

 Sometimes this process reminds me of giving a room a new breath of energy by moving the furniture around. Some have ask if these adjustments are necessary, and that's tricky and ultimately a personal viewpoint. I would not argue that either painting (old or new) was finished, better or worse. But for me it reaffirms my affection for the painting; the process of applying a new or current idea, to an older painting, is exciting. In short, it breathes new life into the work, even if I'm the only who sees it!

I reworked both these paintings last week. They came from last years paintings, and both changed, by becoming a little more subtle...

The 'new'

Peruvian Lilies & Delphinium over Purple & Violet

24X36                                    Acrylic on panel

The 'old'

This painting worked, but felt a little cool. I wanted to keep everything unified and close in colors, so I adjusted the tablecloth to a yellowish white. Internationally I left parts of the original color shine through to give the effect of a loosely painted tablecloth design. I then lightly glazed the background floor to separate it from the tablecloth. The end result I think has elevated this work with a lot of nuance and subtlety in color, over the original drama of the cyan tone.

The 'new'

Lemons, Poms & Cyclamen over tribal drape

22X22                              Acrylic on wood 

The 'old'

The power of the background design felt too impactful, when the focus needed to be on the flowers and table. I toned the drape design into light yellow/greens, which unified the color design of the overall painting, and brought the focus to where it belonged. For the observant amongst you, you may also notice I altered the cut Pomegranate a little, and adjusted the line of the table, (where it meets the purple vase/cup).