Over-ornamentation

Expectant   mixed on paper   34.5 x 21

I once read a while back that over-ornamentation results in the killing of the art form. I believe that is true. The further one moves away from the simplicity of "the thing", the further one moves away from its spirit, its soul. At the beginning of the summer, I started adding simple patterning via reduction prints to some large charcoal drawings. It excited me beyond belief. Each one became more and more complex. That wasn't my goal. It just happened. By the end of the summer, I had completed 6 drawings using that method. I used it up. I was spent. " Expectant" is one of the last ones. Back to painting now.....and to simplification of form and ground.