Witches, Saints, and Hysterics Series | The Process
With the emergence and development of AI, a beautiful image can easily be created with a simple click.
An artist’s process, something deeply personal and ever evolving, however, is complex and deep.
These pieces are part of my series “Witches, Saints, and Hysterics” (which will most likely conclude with 7 pieces, but you never know… could be more). They are still in process and currently hanging on my wall for me to stare at many times a day, every day, pulling myself away only when they start to bore me, and my own vision is clouded by the events of the day or a passing mood.
I have learned to wait. I can sense when a painting “looks” like it might be finished, but I know it’s not. Be it a color, a background change, complete reworking, or even just time passing, I won’t be varnishing it until that quiet intuitive voice inside says “enough.”
I’ll go through days I hate them, days I love them, days I doubt them, and - in the end - when I get that push, I’ll get out my varnish and finish them.
People ask “ when do you know it’s finished?”
There’s no alarm. There’s no point at which I can say “perfect— that’s perfect, I’m done.” It’s more: “Ok. I am resolved and content with what is there. No more pushing, and that’s that.”
When I first started really developing a daily art practice I often rushed through to finish— and I’m not saying that’s wrong, but I’ve since developed a gentleness and allowance to let things sit unfinished until they tell me they are ready. And maybe they’re never really finished. I mean… are any of us?
