Sunday, April 17, 2011

Speaking of Spring

Heralds of Spring, 16" x 20" watercolor

This is a watercolor painting completed in 2010, "Heralds of Spring". I participate in the art site "Wet Canvas", and one of our members passed away last year. Several of us chose one of her many reference images to paint as a tribute. I like the way the daffodils seem to be looking at the solo white tulip.
Available for purchase.

Saturday, April 9, 2011

Time for Spring Cleaning (or not)??

Robert Genn's most recent Twice-Weekly Letter made me think. I have a lot of old paintings that will never see the light of day, let alone a mat & frame.

A lot of the early work from my beginner watercolor class make me laugh, like the 'hovering onions' (don't ask, I won't show it). ;-) Some I treasure because I can see how my art has grown, and they are 'pretty good', but not good enough. I've only thrown out less than a half dozen paintings in almost 10 years. One in particular, I ripped up and walked straight out to the trash can because I was so frustrated with it.  I regret that rash act; while doing a mixed media piece, I remember thinking "oh, I can use some of that painting for collage"; until I realized it was gone. A full sheet too.

Sometimes I think I should have a bonfire, yet the mixed media artist in me says "keep it, you'll use it one day". Other times I think those old pieces are bogging me down and I should release them. The art miser in me says "use the other side, or gesso over it, guillotine it, recycle".

What do you do with your old sketches, and paintings that aren't your best, the "failures"?? Do you recycle or spring clean?