Starting – and Finishing

I’ve just been to a very interesting lecture by the art historian, Martin Gayford. I ended up buying his new book ‘How Painting Happens (and why it matters)’ even though I swore I wouldn’t buy another book as we have no space.

However I’m glad I did as its a fascinating read , so far. I’ve just finished the chapter on starting and finishing a painting . I have no problem about beginning a new piece as I’ve usually been thinking about it for about two years. Though like many artists, I find it very difficult to decide when a work is finished. I usually leave it for a few months before getting it framed, though its good to know from Gayford’s book, that many people are struggling in the same way.