Self Talk: Slow Down

I messed up.

I am currently in a transition period with my artwork, have four large paintings that have been hanging in my studio and throughout my house for evaluation. During this evaluation time I have been learning about sales tax, working on marketing, sketching (!!!) and prepping my canvases for a new set of paintings. While juggling all the things during transition, I also want to get through this period as quickly as possible.

Prepping canvases and getting ready to map out my paintings is the hardest part of the painting process for me. It is slow and you don’t get to see much progress. However, I tried to rush through the gesso part of prepping my canvases and I am paying for it now.

I was careful in my application, the layers were even, the canvas was well covered and I didn’t even get any on my clothes.

Yesterday when I came into my studio to re-arrange, evaluate and get ready for the next step I realized that gesso (bright white) had splattered on to one of my finished paintings. Not a lot, just a few spots. But, bright white on a painting with no white on it is quite obvious. I was frustrated with myself for thinking the painting was far enough away. I was irritated that I hadn’t slowed down to assess my surrounding better prior to starting. I was mad I didn’t slow my brush strokes to better avoid splatter. I felt defeated.

This will serve as a lesson for me to slow down. This is also a great reminder that I really need to find space to store my finished canvases away from my studio. And to mix extra paint of every color I use in a painting to keep on hand for instances like this.

Now what? I’d love to know too.

Option 1: Add More Splatters
My husband asked me if I could just leave it and keep the splatters as an element of the painting. Unfortunately, there aren’t enough splatters to make it look intentional. Option 1 (but not necessarily the best) would be to add more white splatters to create an intentional splatter effect.

Option 2: Mix New Paint and Touch Up the Areas
This is usually my go to when I find blemishes in my finished paintings. However, the challenge will be color matching well enough to not have to touch up more than the affected areas. Honestly, this is probably the route I will go and if I don’t succeed I can move on to one of these other options.

Option 3: Add New Elements
Adding new elements in order to disguise the blemishes is both the most exciting and most daunting option. I love the composition of the piece and do not want to change it. However, forcing myself to add elements might give me more inspiration for further works and push my skills and imagination further than I was originally allowing myself.

Option 4: Scrap It and Re-Use the Canvas
Not an option! I have spent way to much time on this painting to give up on it now. I’d like to think I know when it is time to quit and for now, the time is not now.

I’ll keep the suspense alive and not reveal the damage just yet, but I’ll be sure to take progress pictures and share the results, good or bad.

Happy creating and slowing down,

Paige