Never leaving "well enough" alone

One of the most important lessons in art is knowing when to stop painting. I don't mean stop painting altogether! I mean, knowing when to walk away from the piece you are currently working on and call it finished. How do you know when it is finished? That's going to be different for everyone and every painting. Sorry, sometimes there are no easy answers! I've found that setting solid deadlines and sticking to them keep me from endlessly picking at a painting. But I don't always have deadlines.

Realizing I needed to practice my edges I did a few small studies a while back. My model is a little butterfly who valiantly gave his life in the name of art.

Painting from life in progress

I also thought I would experiment with a drippy background. In the end, though, I chickened out. I finished with a mostly solid, neutral background. The drips became too subtle.

I was content with the painting, I thought. I had achieved the edgework I was looking for. The body looks soft and fuzzy, the wings have just enough detail. But I wasn't happy. 

I realized I needed a little bit more bravery.Brave endeavors usually require weapons. I grabbed my knife.

Yellow Butterfly

Ok, I'll admit this is one of those "before and after" photos where the colors in the first photo are bit drab, and the second, voila! But, what a difference! The rough texture sets off the refined butterfly exactly as I hoped it would.

So, if I had one bit of advice for any struggling artists out there, it would be this: Never hope to be completely satisfied with your work. Always push yourself harder with each painting. Not every experiment will be successful, but somewhere along the way you will have unexpected and exciting breakthroughs!