To touch or not to touch ... that is the question.
Do you ever go retouch old paintings after many years ? Is this a good or bad thing ? As we progress our style, interests & color pallet may change, often quite dramatically. So does mixing ones old style with with ones new style actually work ? I suppose one of the most important questions artists ask is "when is a painting actually finished ?"
My older works used to be more subtle in tone with a more monotone & unsaturated palette. My later works are far bolder, brighter with more contrast. I think that when I now look at some of my older works (though my new eyes) their subtlety irritated me a little bit. This is probably why I retouched this piece.
I used to start many of my works using only two colors. Then would drybrush and glaze color on the top. Part of the reason for this is because my eye was not initially as well trained as it is now to see tonal relationships between objects.
This painting is about war. There was allot of unrest in my home country in South Africa when I was growing up and it affected me for some reason even though my siblings & many of my friends at the time were sheltered and did not notice it as much. I have great empathy with those people living unstable countries. I have had an obsession with researching global events and the multi- faceted aspects of the system from a young age.
This piece portrays a doll, a soldier and a gate. One you pass through that gate you will never be the same.
The work is an oil painting called "Paradigm Shift. Innocence lost." Oil on Canvas, 111 cm x 101 cm.
One of my art students once commented that she thinks the doll is "Chucky meets Britany Spears." LOL !
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I've never gone back to a painting after I signed it. I'd have a hard time bringing myself to do that I think lol
Yeah, you are probably right... and I think most artists would agree with that ... however the initial painting annoyed me every time I looked at it. We certainly dont have that luxury with watercolor.
I have seen quiet a few artists go back to old pieces, but,I do think it's probably a minority lol In my case I always know when a piece is "done". I get a feeling that I shouldn't add any more details etc...
Yeah. Its so easy to overwork a piece. :)
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Thank you :)
I like both styles but the later one is what I would enjoy more at home.. something bold and vibrant..
Thanks @delishtreats. Bold colours never used to be my thing. Now I love it. Its strange how some artists colour preferences change. Perhaps a reflection of life.
I think so too. So many things are changing in life and this is reflected in our preferences too! All my childhood I hated pink. It was just too girly for me! Now I love it! I don't mean this Barbie doll pink, no, just normal pink color :)
This is beautiful, @visionaryart! The idea is very thoughtful and the composition is wonderfully designed <3 Love that the girl sort of lives inside her own bubble and the colours are well defined on her part, and yet the world outside of it, is a different world... with more muted colours and with less definitions...
Really, a work that conveys your message very well :)
Thank you very much @veryspider. Yeah, sometimes we do live in our own bubble. Unaware of whats happening around us or only perceiving things from the vantage point of our own immediate bubble. :)
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STOPwow amazing! Super interesting to bring retouch old paintings! I'd definitely vote yes, to the question :) Even though I know sometimes you also have to know when not to touch! :D
I prefer the new one, so I think you did the right choice, though the old one is super beautiful too and there is something dragging in the subtleness it has.
Really strong piece of art by the way!
I'd actually love to go back and give new life to some of my old paintings....
Yay ! Thank you. My mother said I spoiled the work but she is very old fashioned. Thank you very much for your reflections. :)
Dali is supposed to have said: "A painting is not finished until it is bought and paid for".
In practise, I think he lived it, because I seen books with images of certain of his paintings where it is obvious he worked on them some more.
"Chucky meets Britney Spears. (spelling corrected)" - there is even a video about it:
HAHAHAHAHA !!! You're killing me ! GOLD ! Thank you for finding this clip ! & the Dali quote ! P.s. Yeah, I guess I never bought any of Britnys albums (the truth is revealed) so never got the spelling of her name quite right. OOOps I did it again.
I better stop now before my jokes get worse.
haha - she is the absolute worse - good taste that you never bought any!
Hi @visionaryart - thank you so much for this good post: yes, absolutely, I have often returned to paintings - because of the evolution of my style, like you, if a painting is still living with me, I feel called to inter-relate with it again, and make it newer, more aligned with where I am now - mostly to bring more harmony and colour to it, as I think you allude to... Blessings on your work, Clare
(painting, Standing Alone, oil paint-pen-pencil on board, 122 x 65 cm, 2006-10) - this painting began as a portrait of my mother and myself, around the time that I had been caring for her before she died - it then developed into a strong female figure stepping forward in life, which reflected also that I had just moved to Italy and was beginning a new life on my own. <3