The hardest thing is to re-enter a painting that had a strong start. “What if I ruin it?” persistently stays me from starting again. Muscling through that and taking a chance on that first next step is the hardest. Here is an image of where the painting was after the first day:
Sometimes flipping the work upside down helps to break the fear. And then just seeing what parts speak to me telling me to lighten here, neaten there, scratch through this section, carries me along. I know I strengthened parts of the painting and lost others today, but that is all part of the process and the true value for me. Being in the moment, in the puzzles and possibilities of the moment is why I paint. And in the subsequent layers the subtleties appear.
And, I refine the focal points by adding points of interest to direct the eye around the piece.
Here is how the painting looks right now:
It is close to being finished, what do you think?
