Many times I’ve been asked“How Long Did That Painting Take To Complete?”There is no short simple answer to this question.
An artist’s work of art is similar to the delivering of a baby, much thought and preparation goes into it. With your art you’ve thought about it, researched the subject, discovered the best angles and composition, done quick sketches and/or take photos as reference for the studio, and developed the color scheme that develops the mood you are trying to achieve. Each painting is a building block in the castle of your skills through new brush strokes, color combinations and different mediums. This experimenting and learning of skills are carried-over from one painting to the next.
From the beginning this “baby” is meant to be appreciated and experienced without you the “parent”. The majority of your works will never be seen by you again once they are sold. Everything that you want to convey to the viewer must be present from the beginning. To some extent I understand what it feels like when a parent selflessly puts a child up for adoption. I am always hoping that my work finds a home that loves them for a lifetime.
When my kids were younger you just never knew what they were going to say. The same can be said for a painting as everyone sees something different and receive different messages from it. I find it fascinating to see what others see and take away from a completed work of art. The decision to “adopt” a painting comes from different places: some love the use of colors, others connect with the subject matter, while still others just feel a deep connection to the work. One of my favorite parts of being an artist is helping a collector find that unique piece of artwork that speaks to them in a way that they simply can’t walk away from!
So the next time you are curious about how long a painting takes to create: The artist has put a lifetime of experiences from their heart and soul into every part of its creation…After all it’s their child.
