Paradox Lake

Creek in Durand Eastman Park, Rochester New York
Creek in Durand Eastman Park, Rochester New York

When I catch myself bearing down on a painting I know I’m doomed. I will be trying to get a clunky part of the painting to look right and I’ll lose the whole when I think I have the part right. I wish I had the foresight to not go down that road again but I will. It is almost easier to start over but I don’t usually take the easy route and that is another paradox. “Painting is not supposed to be easy or everyone would do it.” That’s one of Fred Lipp’s quips.

Another curious observation is that my paintings look better up close when they were painted from afar. That is provided I like what I painted from afar. And conversely when I work up close and think it looks great, I step back and cringe. I’ve tried long handled brushes and painting at arms length. I’ve put the painting on the floor while painting standing up. These methods work but they are rather cumbersome. I’m convinced there is some sort of force field between me and the painting where all the problems lie and I know I’m better off to stay out of there.

1 Comment

One Reply to “Paradox Lake”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *