Works in Progress...

February 11, 2022 Sue Dion

The phrase, “a work is progress” has such a nice ring to it don’t you think? It’s a phrase full of promise, of things yet unseen. A phrase with unlimited potential.

Unfortunately, I’ve recently come to understand that I have a bit of a “work in progress” problem.

It was after deciding to vacate the building where I have been painting and teaching for the past 15 years that this issue came to light. Don’t get me wrong. I knew I had a few unfinished “works”, but the (oft repeated) process of carrying half painted canvases and stacks of watercolors into my new space really shed light on my dilemma.

To make matters worse, as the urge to pull out my paints and brushes to finish one or two of them surfaced, I found that I had used up my creative energy trying to find new places to put them. ...maybe I could slip them behind the tiles of the drop ceiling….?

Seriously!?

What is it about finishing a painting that is so scary for an artist? Is it that once we’ve signed the piece, we’ve effectively said, “That’s it. That’s all I’ve got. That’s as good as it’s going to get.” Do all artists have that little voice in their head that says, “It’s not good enough. I need to give myself more time. I need to find more inspiration, another technique, more skill. If I don’t say the words “I’m finished”, “It is done” then maybe, in the meantime, I’ll get better.

Do you ever feel like this? Do you have stacks of unfinished watercolors or shelves of half painted canvases in your life?

I think we’re better than that. I think we ARE gifted and worthy and able to create beautiful paintings.

Imagine the satisfaction of completing one of them. Of solving the problem that go you so stuck you felt the best course of action was to walk away.

Can you imagine the jubilation and sense of accomplishment we could feel after completing them all! Okay, not ALL. That’s just too much pressure.

Tomorrow, I could choose four or five pieces that I think are deserving of a bit more love, time and attention and finish one of them. And then perhaps next week I could do it again. After four or five weeks of this maybe those impossibly terrible paintings would start to come together too.

Yes, that’s it. That’s exactly what I’m going to do.

I’ll be sure to share a picture of this week’s rescue painting when I am done. I’d love to see yours too!

Until then…