"Tranquil Sunset- La Jolla", 8x10, oil on linen panelI did this last night after a couple failed efforts to create something on canvas that I actually liked. This one was going really well for a while, and then I got back into my indecision stage. Should I use a palette knife or brush? Should I use medium or Resingel? Should I paint the foreground as a colorist or a tonalist? A realist or an impressionist? Who the heck am I anyway? The questions about choices and my own insecurity as an artist were more than I could handle at 10:30 PM so I decided to call this done, though it could probably be improved upon in many ways. For me, trying to improve a painting on a different day than when it was started is usually a recipe for disaster. I'm not sure why- perhaps it's because I'm so moody. I was pretty down yesterday and hence I was painting in a highly charged emotional state. Today I feel kind of tired and low energy, but in a positive mental state nonetheless. (Go figure.) I think it would have been a disaster to try to go back into this one in a totally different mindset, so I'm leaving it alone.
Funny how experimenting with different artistic styles has left me feeling confused and uncertain. I think my best pieces are my colorist palette knife pieces, but that type of work doesn't sell here in Southwest Florida, so over the pasy year I have been trying to experiment with different styles and palettes and the result has been horrifying at times. Thanks to all my collectors who have been hanging in there with me. One of these days, I'll figure out what I want to be when I grow up.
2 comments:
Don't mess with it, its perfect! I love it.
It is always reassuring to hear other artists going through the 'who am I' thing; good to know you're not the only one.
It's a very nice painting :)
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