Iron Gate 16x20 oil sold

I read fairly often (when I have the time) all sorts of books. Currently I am reading a book about the writing life. The book is composed beautifully, full of nicely turned phrases that build wonderful vivid paragraphs that in turn become beautiful images in my head. This is one of the greatest things about reading for me...but before I go too far the book is called, quite simply, "The Writing Life", penned by Annie Dillard author of Pilgrim at Tinker Creek among others.
The book came to me via Max, while browsing through the local library for his own tastes.....he saw it and thought it might be of interest to me in my writing escapades. He thinks of me often in this way...his small thoughtful ways are a joy in my life. Over time many people have heard bits and pieces of my life, sometimes crazy and a little wild, often exotic, seemingly sad by turn of events but always mine and always full. These same people have said often enough for me to take note..."You should, need or could write a book" and I must say I have given the thought a spin on my minds roulette a time or two or even three myself.....but that is not for today but is how this slim non-fiction came into my possession.
There are several parts of this book that I admire...one thing stood out at the very first...aside from the expert insight into writing....it was a comparison to painting and writing. As you know I am a painter, always trying to better that continuum of art that is personally mine and always thinking the next piece is "the one"....you painters know exactly what I mean. Early on in this handbook the author speaks of writing as being nothing at all like painting....and in many regards she is correct. The part that I take exception to is when she states that a painter can continuously over paint the subject until they have it right but a writer must toss the bad words in favor of the whole book not going down the tubes. Aha!! We have finally come to my point !!
The point is I started a piece (as I explained in an earlier blog) that went wrong in a hurry. The paint was being applied beautifully and the color was clean, exact and rich.....but after viewing it the next day I saw the problem. The writer explained that if a word, phrase or paragraph was wrong than subsequently the story, chapter or book that these magical words hinged on would fail....and she is 100% correct! In the painting world the composition is akin to the outline, which will eventually become the phrase, leading to the chapter and , finally, culminating in the story. Yes, friends I had ignored the composition in a mix of enthusiasm, lack of time and a hurried mindset. As I gazed upon what I thought would be my next "masterpiece" my spirits fell in a littered heap of New Years Eve streamers and confetti. There were no horns going off and no soaring of spirits to be had....it was NOT....to my surprise.....a brand new year!
So..should I continue to paint and maybe the viewer would never notice the bad composition? Should I just keep layering more paint over the previous layers in order to correct the faulty design? Should I just scrape it off and start over again with a pentimento of the previous brushstrokes distracting the eye? Like Annie Dillard at her desk throwing out the bad chapter or phrase of a book in order to build a better clearer image.....I put the sorry canvas aside to be gessoed at a later date and started fresh....again. I am glad that I have the courage to do this, even if it hurts and I also know many artists have that same courage . I also realize it will lead to more cautionary steps* in planning the next piece.......and......perhaps some better writing another day.







The Golden Mean
I have included another piece of mine...it is a 16x20 and yes, it is sold.
* Using the the golden mean is always helpful especially on a large canvas...funny how we can forget these basics in the throws of rushing to create the next piece.