Artists, especially painters, have a secret.  Lean in close, now.

We don’t keep everything we create.

Work has often gone through several iterations before it reaches its final conclusion.  I can remember in college usually painting over the same canvas three to four times because, a | I didn’t love the first painting or second or third or ( even more likely ) b | I needed a new canvas and was too broke/cheap to buy or stretch a new one.

Mr. F and I are leaving Idaho Falls in just three short weeks, though we’d hoped to stay longer.  It’s time to start thinking about packing up.  In doing so, I found myself looking to recycle paintings I’ve been carrying around for over a year.  As I’ve mentioned before, when we move, space is very tight, so hanging on to work that I’ve evolved away from and no longer love just doesn’t make sense.

Though I felt a tiny pang of guilt, I gathered up the outdated work, poured out some gesso and began anew.  I’ll keep you posted on the transformation.

Image by Lesley Frenz.