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the timing of finishing - art and reality

Further Along Tree 1 - Dan Beck - digital art painting 2008

This digital painting was finished over a month ago. The previous article showing the version of this painting which felt finished, balanced, and worth saving, - based upon the piece itself and not the original vision; was written over two weeks ago.

I guess it is rather apparent that my writing is not keeping up with my creating. Actually I find everything takes longer than expected - my head is generally way ahead of my physical world - but then that makes sense. How could matter move as fast as thought?

And why do we expect things to take the time we think things will take - even if we have done something before - it might take more or less time - circumstances are always different.

But most of us, including myself, have expectations about how long even things we have never done will take.

The finished painting above matched my concept and vision more closely as well as my expected timeline for doing a painting - there is more texture, more depth, more visual confusion - and more what I had in mind to begin with -

What is wonderful about art and life - is that sometimes the head gets to follow the body - follow the physical world - and sometimes the timetable of the physical world is smarter than the head.

See Also

• Timing Innovative Music - previous article about time and timing and sharing my own creativity
• Time Expectations - though I do not completely share the capitalistic sentiments, I whole-heartedly concur that our expectations affect the timeline of completing a project
• Digital Art Prints - about art prints, digital painting, and what it means for outhouse studios to produce original prints

carrying out original vision

Checkerboard Day - unfinished digital painting

If I work this direction - meaning create a landscape and then add figures, I generally save the painting before moving on.

I like the piece where it is above - the checkerboard of light and dark and the clouds are strong enough to carry the painting. Plus the hills have the warmth and at least my eye is pulled in enough to want to move around in the composition.

But frequently, the case with art is about solving a problem or carrying out something one has conceived. I always think there should be some give and take with the painting itself as it is created. But I also think it is important to at least try to say what one intends (a take on Original Art - I had not thought of before).

The checkerboard mountains and the two irrigation workers hoisting their pipes in unison were witnessed on the same day - and the connection made sense to me when I saw them and created the finished original digital painting.

See Also

• Original Prints - catalog of prints starting at $95 - some of my favorites - many current paintings are on hold as far as prints being set up for easy purchase - email if determined - changes are coming
• The Art of Problem Solving - good tips here - concise and clear - even if my take is more about art honing such skills
• The Art of Complex Problem Solving - I think this may actually be about “the Art” - as it is the changing views as one rolls over with the mouse that makes me appreciate this - the puzzle about puzzle solving is more complex than I have patience for at the moment - but a nice complex diagram nevertheless