Painter Charlie's Blog

Before the end of 2016, I promised myself that I would go back, and finish any paintings that I still had sitting around ... unfinished!  No matter the excuse, the reason for the work not being completed I decided to just sit my critical self down and finish them .... no matter how unhappy I was with the work or no matter the reason that I never finished it!   So, here are the results of my Finished ... unfinished paintings! 😊

The nuthatch was started in class this past fall .. the classes I take from Terry Armstrong (you can find the link to his site above, in Watercolor Artists).  The work wasn't finished in class and after I brought it home I just set it aside to "think about it" .. and this is my finished work.

GUESS IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR

The painting below, titled "Rusting Away" was also started in class with Terry.  Everything had been completed except for the "leaves" in the bucket and on the shelf ... and for the past 2 years, I've look at it, thought about it .. and then would just not do it!  The idea of painting those leaves in an "impressionistic style" was just beyond this artist with her detail oriented, 2 haired brush.  Everyone, all my life has teased me about painting with a 2 haired .. and sometimes, a 3 haired brush because of my love of detail.  So, this painting (while the wood and cans were "detailed") just had to sit until I could wrap my mind around not painting every single leaf and every single little vein in the leaves! And .. I did finish it before 2016 has flown out the door!

RUSTING AWAY

This next painting was started in Terry's class about a year ago.  This was another that I just had such a difficult time with because of my overwhelming need to rip out that 2 haired brush and paint every single little leaf!!!  It's another that I stewed over, studied .. probably tossed some 4 letter words at and kept putting aside.  I FINISHED IT!!!  and I've called it "The Volunteers".  Whenever something grew in the yard .. that hadn't been planted, my grandmother used to call them volunteers .. and I thought of her when I was painting this.

THE VOLUNTEERS

There was one more painting that was "bothering" me, and it's the one below.  It was a painting that I started a couple of years ago .. maybe a year and a half ago .. and it just gave me fits.  Haven't a clue what the problem was, but was really one of those paintings that I was either going to cut up or throw away.  So, before this year ended, I made up my mind that I was going to sit down and work out the problems that I was having with it .. or, at least attempt to work them out.  I love chickadees but this little guy was like the rabbit that I painted ... while I love rabbits, I absolutely, totally and completely hated THAT rabbit!  BUT ... with my promise to myself to FINISH my UNfinished work??? ... I forged ahead and did finish it.

HEY! WHAT HAPPENED TO SUMMER?

So, there you have it ... the 4 paintings that I have had set aside for 2 months to 2 years ... the little devils of 2016!

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE ... with hopes that this coming 2017 will bring joy, love, laughter, happiness AND .. peace to each of your lives.