Boots and Socks.....again?

Boots and Socks   watercolor   10.5 x 19

"In Like a Lion" is how March began here in northeast Ohio....snowstorms continue to surprise and schools still calling off a day now and then. Spring is in the air.  The light quality is enlightening.  But we are still wearing boots.  I have always found studies of boots and shoes to be interesting...reflecting the taste and the daily habits of the wearer.  I thought that this painting was done, although I continued to ruminate about the long horizontal format and the lack of rhythm between the two boots.  So, on a very brave day, I pulled the work out of the mat and added the vertical cad red stripe on the left and a couple of touches of orange.  Ahhhhhh........much better.

Spring sometimes comes gradually.....as does resolution.

Commitment

Checkerboard Band   watercolor/mixed   29 x 21

I continually hear from artists taking my classes that this painting or that will just go "into the box", never to be seen or considered again. It is indeed difficult to decide when to let go of a painting if it isn't going easily or well. But, I believe it is the transcending of these problems that just might take a work of art into something really special. Or..............not. Time spent on a work does not always equal success. In watercolor class, we attempted a set-up involving musical instruments on a full sheet. That is difficult. We spent two sessions on the set-up. That wasn't enough. We all moaned and groaned about our lack of progress. At home, I looked at the painting and felt disgusted. It unnerved me. However, one of my resolutions is to carry a work as far as I can, even though I am not getting those "happy, successful feelings" that result from the rare painting that seems to paint itself. I used block printing and watercolor pencils to take the painting into a new realm. "Checkerboard Band" is the result. I am certainly not 100% satisfied, but I did what I could. And I did honor the commitment.