Painting fails. When should you try to fix it or start over?
“King Lion” • 48” x 48” • Acrylic on canvas
Warning: This painting comes packed with life lessons. I wish I could show you what it started out like! Unfortunately I was so upset it wasn’t turning out to be my next masterpiece that I left the canvas in the basement just so I didn’t have to look at it.
I wanted to try a new technique of painting by filling a squeeze bottle with black paint and using loose gesture to create a flow-like feel. I was inspired by some of the scribble art I recently stumbled upon and I was ready to take it up a notch. TOTAL FAIL. By the way, if you’re interested in learning some acrylic painting techniques, check out this video on YouTube.
So, after airing my frustration out, mainly with myself and my lack of ability to interpret what I saw in my imagination I decided to just start over. While the paint was still wet, I grabbed a paper towel and water and started wiping the black paint off… and that’s when it hit me!!!
As I was wiping the paint off, I saw the shape starting to form! I didn’t even think of using a subtractive method. As you can see in the photos below, things started to take shape. Although it was still a bit messy and rough, I started to see what it could be!
Failure is not the opposite of success—it’s a part of it. – William Ritter
As I wiped off the paint from the painting, now very intentionally considering the composition and the form of the lions face, I realized that I would have never arrived here had I not messed up in the first attempt. Allowing space for failure is so key to discovering something new!
So when do you start over and when do you fix it? I realized that for me it will change with every art piece that I create. It’s the call you’ll have to make as the artist. I love the process of discovery. I love mixing in a certain level of abstraction to my paintings that make them one-of-a-kind, difficult to replicate. The abstraction becomes part of each painting’s journey where failure eventually will lead to something new and unique. This painting has given me courage to start leaning more and more into abstractions in my following work.
Until next time, go forth and create!
♟