Featured Painting: Idaho Farm 11″x14″ oil
I was talking to a friend today when we got on the subject of how difficult it is to be objective about your own paintings. Especially, I think when we are new to painting. Both of us had talked about our paintings from five years ago or so. At the time, we thought they were really good and thought we should be able to get into more shows than we were accepted to. But, looking back, wow! Both of us felt that we really weren’t as good as we had thought. I thin
In the last couple of years I have had a few paintings turned down from shows. When I went back to the paintings and revisited them, I realized the jurors were right. Sometimes, I had hurried the paintings to just submit something to the show. That never seems to work. Other times, I’ve had paintings I really knew weren’t there, but I tried to convince myself all was wonderful. Nope! I think I’m a little more realistic in my work than I was 5 years ago. Or, maybe I’ll find out five years from now that it’s just the same. I’m just at a different level with my painting.
Every six months or so, I go through my paintings. I always find some that I thought were good at the time I painted them. But, with distance and time, some just don’t make the cut. It is always a dilemma what to do with the paintings that don’t hit the mark. I don’t send them to galleries or shows. I seem to collect them. I suppose this is the same dilemma that all artists have.
Anyway, do you think you can be objective in critiquing your own work? Do you know what level your work is compared to colleagues? What do you do with those paintings that just don’t make the mark?
Becky
I have the bad habit of finding all the faults with the paintings I do. I know I need to stop that. Not every piece is a masterpiece, but I’m sure they’re not all bad either. As for what I do with the bad paintings, I paint mostly on panels and I have boxes that are sized for each size of paintings I do and they get put on those boxes. I’m sure one day I’ll do what Robert Genn said to do and burn them. I only worry about things like cadmium and lead going up in that smoke. Maybe I’ll just reuse them by putting a thick coat of modeling paste on them like Jeff Watts does. Then paint some highly textured landscapes and figures on them.
I’ve always had trouble with something being wrong with the paintings too. A few years ago I was talking to a friend about it. How to reconcile that it is OK and not to beat myself up. He said you just have to be satisfied that at the time you paint a painting that you did the very best you could at that moment in time. Then try to let it go and move on to the next. Easy said.
I’ve also cut mine in half with the saw. I’ve worried about burning them too.
Great post. This is often true for me, and when I realized it a few years ago, I decided I’d wait a few years and practice before actively pursuing gallery representation. I also find it works the other way- I’ve snapped a quick photo and wiped out paintings, to realize later that it was really good and I should have kept it.
Yeah, I know I have some hidden away. It is amazing how quickly your paintings change when you are working at it. Thanks for commenting.
I am not objective about my own work either. Sometimes I think it’s better than it is but many times I think it’s worse than it is. Then I don’t believe the good comments! I’ve started throwing out some of the older ones but painting over might be a good option. I recently heard you can use kill to block out the old painting but I haven’t tried it yet.
The real “dogs” I gesso over and reuse.
Others are in the closet awaiting their fate. I will look at them again one day.
I can tell whether I have really got something good or not… I say paint over the ones that don’t work!
Unfortunately, I’ve put some on facebook before I should have too. It seems as though the computer screen is a good way to critique them too. lol
I think I have gotten better about seeing the bad ones. I’ve also gotten better at wiping out and starting over than trying to “fix” something.
…since i have been painting for only 9years, i like to go back and see how much i have grown.
… there are a few ‘newer’ (1-3yrs old) that i think i might be able to go in and ‘fix’….are there any things i have to keep in mind in either going in to ‘fix’ a done painting, or totally paint over?..didn’t know you could gesso over oil?? thought it was ONLY paint (oil) OVER gesso
…i will definitely keep a few of the older ones to look at and feel good at where i am now.
Make sure that your painting isn’t varnished when you go over it. Also, I have tried gesso over old paintings only to have it chip or scratch off. I wouldn’t recommend it. Better to have the oil over oil.
I just recently spent an entire day removing old canvases from stretcher bars and cutting them in pieces for the trash. I still have more work to do but I felt relief at finally getting rid of them.
i’ve thrown away plenty, sometimes if composition is good i can paint over it,—but bad composition and bad values—in the garbage!
I’ve done that and reuse the stretcher bars.
Yes, I can relate to that.
I was just in my 1st studio tour and put EVERYTHING out, i was soo shocked at how many of my old (nasty, to me)water colours sold. Shows you there is something out there for everyone, and they were really cheap. I just figure it gives some people the opportunity to have a ‘real’ painting, who normally could never afford one. All about sharing I guess.
It’s always a good feeling to finally sell some paintings.
I am rarely entirely happy with my paintings. I tend to study them for a long time and rework the passages I don’t like. If I pulled all the ones I find fault with, I’d have nothing to show.
Theresa, To not be completely happy with a painting means that you will grow as an artist. You just have to be content that at the moment you painted the painting you did the best job that you could. It’s difficult not to beat ourselves up.