The question, how does one know when a creative piece of work is completed? I discovered this might be the same and yet be assigned a variety of judgements depending on the form and medium.

 

I tinker with my literary and genre pieces for months or years, depending on how invested I am in actually finishing them. I am much better at finishing drafts than ever before. It is due to feeling that the time I do have   is more precious.

 

It is different, a quicker production with my art pieces. I have this canvas board piece I’ve been making for months, not years.  At first, it was going to be a geometric piece, but as I began working on the elements and color choices, it began taking control away from my original design plans.

It kept speaking to me, pushing for more texture, more focus within the box, something more to draw the eye above and below the center. This piece wants me to be messy.  Take chances. Trust the process.

 

I wasn’t  sure when or where to stop. More flowers? Stems?  Fabric? Marks?

It would sit for days, even weeks without me working on it. I’d fall asleep at night thinking what it wanted from me and why I wasn’t open to what it wanted.  I began to doubt it would ever be finished.

 

When this happens, I clean, straighten up my studio. I puttered around, wiping down surfaces, returning brushes, paint, paper and scissors in their respective jars, bins  and drawers. I trolled Amazon and online art stores for supplies. I did not have a clue what supplies I might need to finish this elusive piece, but I trust my intuition, have faith in my creative core, so I distracted myself until all would be revealed.

 

I reached into a storage drawer to slide in some brown paper when my fingers touched the black netting I’d stashed away. Yes, FYI, artists are pack rats, especially collage and mixed media creators. I grabbed it and knew this was what I needed. Why it did not manifest as an idea before is a mystery. But thanks to my cleaning binge, I finished my piece.

 

Each art piece I complete builds the inner relationship with my creativity. I am still learning how to be more patient and push through the pauses while bringing a piece to fruition. It could  be because I am older now, more purposeful. I hope you like the art piece that has proven my efforts are worthwhile.

Main Composition:  vertical orientation  18 x 24  mixed media canvas board.  A predominantly mauve/purple-gray background. From top to bottom, A black, open weave net  drapes from the top to the middle ground, adding a curtain effect. A yellow ribbon runs across the top resembling a valance.

Behind the curtain, three prominent yellow flowers with black centers, painted in a loose, expressive style with curved green stems are layered atop a darker, cloud-like  background. The inner, centrally placed  window is decorated with Vertical striped patterns in black and white/light purple running along the top and sides, creating a frame-like border effect.

 

Within the inner frame are three yellow flowers with long curved stems outlined in raised wax outlines. A bug made with glass beads and  black netting sits at the bottom left corner of the inner window. Bordering the inner and outer window frame at the bottom are strips of paper mache in random, faded colors.