I’ve been working on my latest painted dog piece for over 2 weeks now. And something is definitely wrong. The composition and drawing are good, but I’m finding excuses to leave my studio. Every time I come back in, I try to evaluate the painting with fresh eyes, but in my head, alarm bells are ringing.
Detail of painted dog piece by Alison Nicholls
Its like a fire alarm going off. First, you think its a false alarm, so you can carry on with what you are doing. But it doesn’t stop, so you wonder if its real or just a test. Eventually you realize you will have to leave the building, whether the fire is real or not.
Late yesterday afternoon, I finally paid attention to the alarm bells, decided to abandon this version of the painting, and metaphorically ‘left the building’.
Since then I have experimented with a subtle gray color, and now I have the inspiration and desire to start the piece again, with fire extinguisher in hand!
Until next time…
Alison
www.ArtInspiredbyAfrica.com