Seventh Session
This one is almost finished. I’ve put it aside so I can take a break from it. I’m sure I’ll make some little adjustments in a day or two. Knowing when a painting is finished is tricky and takes experience to feel confident about. There is never a definite completion point — I think that decision is very personal. How far we take an idea and our expectations are part of what determines our style. How easily or difficult it is to turn loose and move on to another idea. How confident we feel about our decisions - do we correct, second guess, reevaluate? Do we stroke and nudge a project to completion or do we work with gusto and stop abruptly.
These are the kinds of decisions that go in to creating the work. They come natural to us because they’re based on who we are as people. I think we probably make all our decisions in a similar way to our creative decisions.
For me, a piece feels completed when I run of energy for it. If I find myself holding the brush poised over the piece and not moving then I know I’m almost done. I keep making adjustments until the next thing to be done isn’t obvious to me. And by the way, I think of painting as adjustments - especially toward the end. If I’m searching too long for the next brush stroke then I realize I should stop. It’s time to just let it be.
