There are a lot of reasons artists don’t finish paintings. Death, for one, such as in Vincent van Gogh’s “Street in Auvers-sur-Oise” unfinished from the June in 1980 that he shot himself. Lovely painting, horrible death.
Correction: According to the research of Pulitzer Prize-winning biographers Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith in their book published in 2011, the painter didn’t shoot himself, he was shot accidentally by thugs. I apologize for posting inaccurate information. Please read this following V. Note for slightly less inaccurate information about the topic.
Picasso, Woman in a Red Armchair, 1931
For most painters, starting a painting is infinitely easier than finishing one. With every brush stroke, the number of “right moves” diminishes – whereas at the beginning every move was a right move, half way through, problems begin to emerge, many times with solutions unknown. Completing a painting can be similar to solving a puzzle, and in a sense, though it is satisfying to solve a puzzle, the artist kills all the potentials it could have been, and the engaging relationship with with the work is over.
Personally, I prefer the unfinished paintings because I can see more of the making of it, the process. Not only can I see the artists’ thinking, but I can participate in it more. I also like the sustained, suspended daydream of what the painting could become, had things been a little different.
High Flight Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings; Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth Of sun-split clouds, — and done a hundred things You have not dreamed of — wheeled and soared and swung High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there, I’ve chased …
Once we miss a few in a row, many of us find it more difficult to pick a goal back up again. If this is you, don’t worry about anything you missed in the past, and don’t worry about what you might not be able to do in the future. See if you can doodle …
Haniwa are unglazed terracotta clay figures that were placed on and around Japanese tombs. The word “haniwa” is a combination of two Japanese words: “hani” (meaning “circle”) and “wa” (meaning “ring” or “circle”). When first created, haniwa were made in various cylindrical shapes. Later they became more elaborate, featuring sculptures of warriors, shamanic women, attendants, …
Rodin’s hands feel more real: …If you’re wondering, yes I was the crazy lady of the day that became all verklempt over the Rodins. I’m told it’s a thing. Interested in hearing more thoughts like this? Take my figure drawing class, or the more sculptural Planes of the Face. I am also teaching drawing camps …
Unfinished Paintings
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Alice Neel, James Hunter Black Draftee
There are a lot of reasons artists don’t finish paintings. Death, for one, such as in Vincent van Gogh’s “Street in Auvers-sur-Oise” unfinished from the June in 1980 that he shot himself. Lovely painting, horrible death.
Correction: According to the research of Pulitzer Prize-winning biographers Steven Naifeh and Gregory White Smith in their book published in 2011, the painter didn’t shoot himself, he was shot accidentally by thugs. I apologize for posting inaccurate information. Please read this following V. Note for slightly less inaccurate information about the topic.
Picasso, Woman in a Red Armchair, 1931
For most painters, starting a painting is infinitely easier than finishing one. With every brush stroke, the number of “right moves” diminishes – whereas at the beginning every move was a right move, half way through, problems begin to emerge, many times with solutions unknown. Completing a painting can be similar to solving a puzzle, and in a sense, though it is satisfying to solve a puzzle, the artist kills all the potentials it could have been, and the engaging relationship with with the work is over.
Personally, I prefer the unfinished paintings because I can see more of the making of it, the process. Not only can I see the artists’ thinking, but I can participate in it more. I also like the sustained, suspended daydream of what the painting could become, had things been a little different.
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High Flight Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings; Sunward I’ve climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth Of sun-split clouds, — and done a hundred things You have not dreamed of — wheeled and soared and swung High in the sunlit silence. Hov’ring there, I’ve chased …
Day 19: Naiskos Fragment #30SAL
Once we miss a few in a row, many of us find it more difficult to pick a goal back up again. If this is you, don’t worry about anything you missed in the past, and don’t worry about what you might not be able to do in the future. See if you can doodle …
Funerary Art pt 1: Haniwa
Haniwa are unglazed terracotta clay figures that were placed on and around Japanese tombs. The word “haniwa” is a combination of two Japanese words: “hani” (meaning “circle”) and “wa” (meaning “ring” or “circle”). When first created, haniwa were made in various cylindrical shapes. Later they became more elaborate, featuring sculptures of warriors, shamanic women, attendants, …
Rodin’s Hand
Rodin’s hands feel more real: …If you’re wondering, yes I was the crazy lady of the day that became all verklempt over the Rodins. I’m told it’s a thing. Interested in hearing more thoughts like this? Take my figure drawing class, or the more sculptural Planes of the Face. I am also teaching drawing camps …