A quick look in my studio shows that it is currently filled to capacity with work that are in all stages of development. I admit it, I am a big procrastinator when it comes to finishing old work, especially with work that doesn’t seem to give me any good out of it. So naturally, the first step is determining which pieces are worth to be finished.
But before, my first challenge is to (physically) get to the work. Robert Rauschenberg once said that he has to be able to do a polka in his studio. Concerning myself, I certainly don't have this room (my studio is very small) - It would rather be a slow minuet in fear of toppling something over or falling down. My small workspace is in serious distress and needs to be re-organized. Every morning, it calls to me and screams “Help!” for drowning in the mess I made.
My studio is a former bedroom that has been converted into a studio space just big enough for a work-desk, my computer, a few storage spaces (and there’s also my closet for the sh*t on of clothing I have in here), a chair and that’s it. The big problem, as you might have guessed it, is storage. Because of its small size there is not much storage space. I have some small shelves under the work-desk where I can fit some colors, tools and canvases, paintings, supplies, etc. - and a shelf next to it where I keep my books. With a space like that you shouldn’t keep too many things sitting around.
Which brings me to the subject of this article; What should one do with unfinished work? I must admit that I am a "saver". But at least I go through my work periodically, mainly because my studio space gets into such a state of disarray that it is impossible to work in.
When this happens, I take everything out and start sorting. I place paintings into categories like: good, bad, maybe, save, terrible, wonderful (yes, you can call your own work wonderful) etc.
The good paintings I like to put directly on the work-desk so that I can’t do anything but working on them. Because there is no space to put them aside (e.g. to work on another project), I can make sure that I have to finish them first.
The bad paintings I throw away or paint over. But painting over I do quite rarely. I don’t like the feeling of something underneath and I have serious OCDs that some color could shine through (painters call this pentimenti )
Paintings that I like but that aren’t sold get packed up in bubble foil and then I put them in my (also slowly overfilling) basement. Normally I take a picture before that and glue-strip it onto the package. This way I can determine which picture it is without having to take off all the wrapping. Don’t store finished paintings in your studio. You might worsen them by playing around with it on a day of weakness, or worse, might accidentally damage them during other work. I do, however, keep my favorites on the walls of my apartment to motivate me and give me the impression that I am not a complete failure.
For the "maybe" paintings, I must sit down and evaluate them. Sometimes writing down the problems or strengths that I see can help. If the strengths outweigh the problems I will invest the time to "save" these painting by reworking them. A good practice to do with a painting that is problematic is also to spend a little time away from it to truly understand what it needs. If it simply isn't working in any way shape or form, get rid of the painting – easy as that.
Oh, but one last important distinction that I make is the time frame. For example, if I find a picture of 5 years ago, I will never work on it again. Images have a life of their own and belong to the specific "time" of your artistic development. They reflect phases or periods that have brought me to where my work is now. It is important for me to appreciate them for what they are and what they have been for me. Honest reviews of my work are very useful and important to my progress.
Here's how one of my finished works looks like. You can read more about it here.
