When painting abstract works I am always asked "how do you know when it's done?" This is always a tough question to answer as every piece I create is different. However I have a bit of a method to my madness. As I have explained my process before in a previous post I create in stages but this doesn't always mean it makes the decision easier.
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One step I take to help create pieces is by working on more than one at a time. I am always painting multiple canvases at once. This helps me to stop and switch gears and take my eyes off of a canvas and onto another one. I find I have an easier time deciphering what needs to happen next. It's like "stepping away" from a piece to then look at it again with fresh eyes. I find I work at a better pace this way, instead of staring at one canvas waiting for it to tell me what to do next.
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I then paint, working on multiples at a time, until I am ready to stop for the day. I always leave them all sit where they lay and wait to give them a final look the next day. On a fresh day I then look at all of them again and this time with new eyes! Looking at all the paintings I begin to make two piles; a "done" pile and a "needs-more-work" pile. The "needs-more-work" pile gets another round of paint time or in some cases even several. The "done" pile moves to the final stages.
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Now its time to complete it. I make sure that all my edges are painted and clean looking so that the owner can hang it directly on the wall with no frame. I add a signature and a picture frame wire for displaying it on a wall. Finally it gets a good coat, or two, of a varnish and now its ready to be logged into my records and portfolio. A price is given and its wrapped to be taken to a show!