After several weeks with its face to the wall, I turned the painting around to see it with fresh eyes. “OMG!” I thought. “This needs some serious work!” It’s too tight in some places, not finished in others, and it’s missing an all important element. The florals are rock hard and the dog – part of the original composition – is nowhere to be found. What was I thinking!
I’m a bit too famous for painting over paintings. It’s a habit that evokes finger-wagging from friends. Kerri has been known to fling herself between me and a painting that I put on the easel-chopping-block. “I hate it!” I cry.
“Touch it and I’ll break your fingers,” she quietly threatens. I like my fingers so I relent.
Actually, she’s provided me with the perfect response to gallery-goers when they ask the ubiquitous question, “How do you know when a painting is done?”
In the past I’d say something amorphous like, “It’s not something you know; it’s something you feel.” Intuition. Gut feeling. Artistic argle-bargle.
Now, my perfect reply is definitive and goes like this: “Oh, it’s easy! I know it’s complete when my wife threatens to break my fingers.” She might look like a delicate columbine-flower but watch out.
It’s a conversation stopper but the real fun comes when I add, “She’ll break the fingers of anyone who doesn’t appreciate my work.”
I turn and walk away as they debate asking the obvious next question: Is she here?
read Kerri’s blogpost about COLUMBINE FLOWERS
The offending painting. It needs work and Kerri has yet to threaten my fingers.
“like” my argle-bargle. or share it. or comment (but watch your fingers!). or buyusacoffee.com. all are great ways to support our work.
train through trees – in this state of development © 2023 david robinson
Filed under: Art, Creativity, DR Thursday, Random | Tagged: appreciation, argle bargle, artistry, david robinson, davidrobinsoncreative.com, fresh eyes, iteration, Kerri Sherwood, kerri sherwood itunes, kerrianddavid.com, kerrisherwood.com, nonsense, progress, story, studio melange, the melange |
The Direction of Intention 
I love this painting. It feels right, to me. Thanks to you, and Kerri, for these important blogs. They have kept me in good safe spaces during the pandemic, and through many other good/hard/whatever times. Plus, I love Kerri’s music. I bought some online, and then got a mighty thrill when I found and bought a cd of hers!!
You can’t imagine what it means to us to receive a message like this. We delight that you are reading what we write and finding a safe place within our words (I think we write for the same reason…). Please don’t break my fingers – I’m making some changes to the painting and you will laugh to know that, after reading your words, Kerri said, “I told you that you should leave it alone.” She also said to pass on a deep “thank you” for listening to her music AND for buying a cd! Which one did you find?