Finished Painting?

Last evening one of my students who was introduced to painting in the Discover the Artist Within class at The Evergreen State College asked,

"How do you know when a painting is finished."

GOOD QUESTION! One which challenges me on a regular basis.

Then she asked, "Can't you ruin a painting by over working it?"

AFFIRMATIVE!

In my attempt to answer, I realized these questions are probably at the heart of every painter. The fact is there is no set rule....it really is hit or miss.

When I believe a painting is finished, I place it in a prominent spot in my house where I will walk by it often before I decide it is truly done. I also photograph the painting for my website and see it from another perspective. I might make changes, then again, I might not.

Here is my latest, I believe finished, watercolor painting.

How do you feel?

Discover the Artist Within

This evening was the first class of "Discover the Artist Within" which I teach at Evergreen. It is always fun to see who shows up and why they are there.

Tonight's group recognized the power of art to heal as many students found themselves pleasantly distracted from the chaos of their lives. One student mentioned that she felt transported to another realm and it felt good.

In the artistic development of children, the first art representation is a scribble drawing. I have found that starting adult students off with a scribble drawing, eyes closed, helps them to reconnect with childhood and reopen that door to creativity. It was interesting to note that a couple of students were uncomfortable with this lack of control and realized the parallels to their life. Another insight was the felt need to fill the paper and frustration that the art medium, colored markers, caused because it was not capable of doing this. Where did this need for control come from?

By the end of the class, there were several "ah has" and a unanimous "this was fun!" I find it curious that adults forget how to have fun.