Never Finished

 

Painting is more than a medium; it is a journey, a living dialogue between the artist and the canvas. Each brushstroke layers color, texture, and emotion, opening endless possibilities and raising an inevitable question: when is enough, enough? With every mark, a painting can shift and evolve, inviting the artist to keep going, to add just one more gesture. Yet this freedom is also the challenge, as creation and overworking often stand only a stroke apart.

A finished painting carries a quiet sense of resolution. It communicates something felt rather than explained, an emotion, a tension, a harmony. When the work begins to resonate, when stepping back brings clarity or calm, the piece may be nearing completion. This recognition comes not only through the eyes, but through a deeper instinct, a sense that the painting has found its voice and no longer needs to be persuaded.

Trusting that instinct is essential, because once the threshold of completion is crossed, vitality can quickly fade. Overworking risks diluting the original energy, replacing intention with uncertainty. At that point, the artist must choose whether to accept the transformation or begin again, understanding that some paintings demand a fresh start in order to speak clearly.

Like life itself, painting is imperfect, evolving, and unresolved. “Finished” is not a fixed destination but a moment of agreement between artist and canvas. Each painter develops their own way of recognizing that moment, and each stroke, whether it leads to completion or collapse, becomes part of the larger journey. In the end, the question isn’t whether the painting is done, but whether the dialogue has reached a place of truth.