Finished …… How Do You Know?

One question that I often get asked about my work is how do you know when a painting is finished! That’s easy! 

One dead certain answer, is when it throws itself off my viewing rail or off the easel! I affix my pastel support with masking tape to my boards and when the masking tape curls and releases my painting, it’s done! 

Sounds incredibly stupid, doesn’t it but it really does ring true. 

My picture rail or shelf in the first photo is a new addition to my smaller studio, I always used to put my paintings in the corner of my old studio so that my pictures could ''mature'', I need time to view/ review my work and here my masking tape trick is very helpful. Funnily enough, the time needed to chuck yourself off the drawing board varies and although I sometimes try to lengthen the time by using clips, inevitably the ''chuck off'' is exactly when I feel enough is enough! 

I love these (Ikea) picture rails, I had one above my drawing desk for years but after my move I decided I needed one to position my paintings and inspirational thingy's on; sketches, photos and maturing works. 

When is a painting finished, well that’s a difficult question in truth, my paintings usually whisper or scream at me …. Stop now! Sometimes I think I've still got hours of painting to go and then suddenly a wee voice says, you're there, sign it. When I reach this point I sometimes give myself one more night to mull things over and the next morning one or two strokes are necessary but signing a painting is for me the point of no return …… or my painting throws itself off! 

New Year, time to get some painting started, back to the boards and masking tape.