An Unresolved Issue

I have a problem leaving things unfinished. While this may seem like a generally good quality to have in life, it's becoming a problem with my paintings.

 

I read a lot of interviews with accomplished painters, and I've noticed they tend to have 10 or more paintings going on at once. Sometime it's a good idea to put aside a painting that feels unresolved and come back to it a few days or weeks later. As easy as that may sound, this is really, really difficult for me to do.

 

For example, below is "the" one painting I'm currently working on. To me it feels unresolved. There is nothing about it that pops, and the colors feel too cool, like maybe it should be a snowy day outside. Maybe the floor color should be warm. Maybe Ozzie's back is too light and there should be more contrast in value between his back and the sunlit floor. Anyway, it's driving me a little crazy today, and it's all I can do to not think about it (while I'm working - ha) and I can't wait to get home and rework some things...

 

 

This is when I usually mess up a painting and it gets fussy. I hate fussy.

 

So tonight I need to make plans to get out of the house and not touch this painting.  The rec center gang is at McCleary's Pub this evening... I should probably do that. I don't trust myself in the studio. Maybe I should move the painting downstairs and out of sight for a while too. I wonder how many artists have to hide their paintings from themselves to keep from fussing with them?

 

When I visited the Barnes Foundation the last time, I learned that Maurice Prendergast, one of my favorite painters, had this same obsession. When Dr. Barnes would invite him to the estate for dinner, Prendergast would bring his paint box and touch up his own finished paintings that were on display there. Now that's an obsession.