Art Log

Is it Done?

When to stop? That's always the question for me. When I taught, one of my third grade students asked, "How do you know when it's finished?" He's an animator now and I'm sure he could better answer his own question now than I did then.

But starting isn't easy either. Several years ago I brought home these Spartans from the local fruit co-op and placed a few on a bandana napkin I've had for over 40 years, one of those old, soft fabrics that are no longer crisp nor bright. I liked the looks of the apples on the print but at that time I found the whole project overwhelming to draw and paint. This year I set myself the task, drawing the design over 3 days, but as I approach the end of a painting--especially a large painting such as this 30" square--I start to wonder about the overall look as well as the details: the brightness of the background competing with the subject, the sufficiency of the

depth of shadows, the chroma of the apples and the highlights. What are your ideas? Is it done? Please answer on my blog page.