Monday 19 March 2018

#314 'Low Tide Crossing, Bosham' 8x14" & When to Scrap a Painting!


My husband Nick and I went down to Emsworth - Hampshire/West Sussex coast line to paint and photo for a long weekend. This was my first painting from it.

It was a struggle painting and I nearly ditched it 3/4 of the way through. I didn't think it was working and therefore I felt despondent and upset and so couldn't see the wood for the trees! I hate being beaten so I took it back to our place and Nick said it's good! Looking with fresh eyes I realised it was not a disaster!! and actually came out well in the end. 

Lesson: Don't scrap a painting immediately wait as long as you can. If I'm unsure I have them up on my shelf in my studio and after a while and if I still cant bear it I will put them in place where all the others are! I have quite a stack, wether finished or not. At a later date I go through and can see if I can learn from them and how I'd do them differently now, and I can also see the progress I have made with a current comparable painting.

I don't tent to paint over them as I don't like the surface it creates, some artists reuse their boards which can be an economical thing to do.

A thing I learnt from another artist is keep starting paintings it's the way you really learn and improve. The finishing come with time & practise but it's the starting that's the real foundation to your work. So sometimes that's what I say to myself just start this, and usually I can't help but continue!
Heres a pic of how I started this one:
The sky was beautiful so I put it in first and it also helps with the colour fo the mud and water.

3 comments:

  1. So glad you finished it - I really, really like this! Great sky, Bosham makes a lovely shape in the distance with the mud flats leading up to it. Great comments in your blog - I will keep on starting!

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    1. Thank you Pat! So pleased you like it after the uncertainty of it. Plus I'm glad the blog writings are useful! Clare

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  2. This is indeed a great painting, one of my favourite’s of your recent efforts.

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