Ugly Stages

This image is from last Tuesday’s abstract painting class at the Sharon Lynne Wilson Center for the Arts. The image on the left was the quick expressive first layer. I was reacting to the colors and shapes from a random magazine ad. The image on the right is the second layer which incorporates different techniques such as masking, rollers, and dripping. I found the result particularly interesting because I like the first painting and then I “messed it up” for the sake of demonstrating techniques. However, I also found this to be a good opportunity to talk about the ugly stages in painting. Often there are moments when you will like a painting and moments when you will hate it. Of course the goal is to come out on the side of like. Yet, the more I look at the painting I ended up with the more I like it anyways!