Equilibrium

Equilibrium   oil   30 x 42

is the title of this painting of a kayaker.  It also describes what I lost during the very long process of painting it.  Each pass offered some good passages, but was, overall, not acceptable to my sense of correctness.  Again.  Again and again....throughout the long hot summer.  I kept going back to my initial sketch to repaint as that usually does the trick.  My sketches are done so spontaneously...the goal is usually an even distribution of values.  I kept trying to solve the dilemma with color, even though I have never really been a colorist.  Eventually I realized that I had to depart from the initial sketch although, while powerful, destroyed the mood of this enthusiastic boater on a hot summer day.  I am, at long last, pleased. 

I am now realizing that I needed to declare a value dominance of the work, one that supports the mood that I am trying to achieve,  in addition to the playful distribution and linkage of values. 

This lesson was learned the hard way.