Old Tobacco Barn, 20″ x 16″, acrylic on canvas. Under color.

Old Tobacco Barn, 20″ x 16″, acrylic on canvas. Laying in color.

I’ve included a couple shots of the work in progress. Mostly for my own information. Too often, I get to the end of a painting and wonder how I got there.

Sure, it’s a cliche, but making a painting is a little, self-indulgent adventure. I start off with an idea, maybe even high expectations. And then the reality of actually doing the work sets in. I pretty quickly hit my limitations. Happy and unhappy accidents happen as paint is applied. Strategies have to be changed, ambitions altered. Really, most of the work of doing a painting happens in the head.

And then finally a point is reached where something in my head says, “That’s enough. You’re done.” This, even though I’ve still got some ideas, more strategies, things I think need fixed, and so on. I’m usually surprised by the result. It’s rarely what I imagined or planned when I started. Sometimes, it’s  better.

Old Tobacco Barn, 20″ x 16″, acrylic on canvas. Finish