When Is A Painting Ready?

The AFTER Painting | Still Standing | 11 x 14 | Oil on Linen | © Beth Cole | SOLD

When is a Painting Ready?

The Before Painting - Not Ready Yet - Unsold

I listened to an artist interview recently where he spoke about never throwing out any of his paintings. I think it was Dan McCaw on the Artful Painter hosted by Carl Olson. He said something to the effect of seeing his unsold paintings as immature children only needing time and attention before they would be able to walk.

Isn’t that an elegant approach with paintings that haven’t flown the nest? Of course not all paintings will fly. But it is the hope of an artist that many will, and of course in order to stay solvent as an artist, paintings need legs or wings or whatever it is that makes them able to fly into the home of a loving collector.

So I’ve been thinking about this with paintings which I think are finished. In fact I may have shown them but they remain on my wall or in a place where they are unable to fly like the “Before” painting above.

As I consider what it is that would make the painting come to life, there are always options. Sometimes it is just time. If you turn the painting to the wall for a month or two, then look at it with fresh eyes, you can see what needs to be done.

Other times, it might be to change the story.....maybe a dull and lifeless winter season becomes a light filled spring day. The “After” painting above was made ready with some lighting and mood changes. Imagine my delight when someone confirmed it was ready to fly and took it home.

Do you have any immature paintings? Let’s be kind to our paintings and give them time to come into their own. And never give up. Every painting needs a chance to stand tall and walk into a new home.

With you all the way.

--Beth Cole
Soli Deo Gloria