Actually, there is no finish line, no line of demarcation that signals the end of the race, the end of the painting. Woe is me. We artists always sense that the finish is near but that is as far as it goes. We always think that one more correction, one more interesting passage might just take the work to outstanding. With watercolor, especially, one of the major fears is to take that work a step too far, creating murkiness and destroying the complex patterns of transparency that one has taken so much time and effort to create. And yes, we all know that adding just one more passage can set up an entire series of needed changes in order to bring the rest of the work "up" to the change. Yes, woe is me. I actually know of a very fine regional artist, an older gentleman, who is notorious for adding a stroke of two decades after the first ones were laid in. That enables him to enter exhibits where there is an age limit on the work. But I think that there is more than trickery at hand here. Sometimes, we just don't know when the work is done....I try my best to take completion very seriously, as, more often than not, I am displeased when I take my hand to a work at a later date, with a completely different palette and a completely changed frame of mind and emotional status. "Strings" hung on my wall for over a year and a half. Nagging thoughts of violet entered my brain at every glance. After the year's drying time, I procrastinated on the varnishing time and time again.....I suppose I was building up bravery. A couple of weeks ago, I let 'er rip. In a sudden decision I pulled the work down and applied the violet before my left brain had time to disagree. These photos record the change. I am completely satisfied.
I believe that I have crossed the finish line..........not in record time however.
