Three decades to finish a painting

[laf.art]

'I obey time': The artist who spent three decades on a single painting

South Korean artist Myonghi Kang began "Le temps des camélias" in the late 1980s, but it would be another 30 years before the impulsive painter was satisfied with the work.

edition.cnn.com

 

[Artyczar]

I guess it takes as long as it takes?

 

[bjcpaints]

I have one on my easel that has been there for 4 years now.
Determined to finish it, but it needs to be what I want it to be..
Thank you for sharing this article - courage indeed and she is right about it hitting you when you know that it is done.!

 

[KreativeK]

Yep, there’s a couple of mixed media ones I keep dragging out hoping they’ll get better but nope.

 

[Marksmomagain]

I don't really see what the big deal is... we all have partially finished work stored in portfolios, in boxes, in the closet, under the bed, maybe even on display (despite being unfinished). I myself have an unfinished watercolor/pastel/graphite/colored pencil landscape size 24x36 sitting in my cellar for the past 27 years now. I look at it now and then...

 

[laf.art]

Me as well Kay.
I think that it was her serenity that struck me about the article

 

[16ga]

I don't really see what the big deal is... we all have partially finished work stored in portfolios, in boxes, in the closet, under the bed, maybe even on display (despite being unfinished). I myself have an unfinished watercolor/pastel/graphite/colored pencil landscape size 24x36 sitting in my cellar for the past 27 years now. I look at it now and then...

This is my feeling whenever I see a story like this.
Give me some time and I'm sure I'll have it beat.

 

[Lazarus]

Well. my twin seems to be found.

 

[ntl]

I recently finished one I "put away" in 1983 ( https://creativespark.art/threads/wip-i.1583/ ). It now lives in a good location in the living space.

 

[Artyczar]

I have a few unfinished ones. But I don't consider them "in progress." I consider them put away until I come back to them for when I'm inspired to work on them again, which may be never. I actually don't think I would count the time between the years I wasn't working on them as how long it took me to make them, but I can see it if I was thinking about them the entire time.

 

[ntl]

Perhaps you're right, I will say at the time, I knew it wasn't great but was the best I could do then, always with a thought to do more when I could. I had a few others with the same intent, and did more, one is gone, one is about done, a couple of others waiting in the wings. Da Vinci isn't the only one who carried paintings around a few years...

 

[Artyczar]

I know, through the years I can always do better as I get a little better. I look back on my older work and cringe sometimes, but sometimes I think there is a certain "charm" to it too. I can't seem to capture some of the things I used to do as a matter of fact.

 

[Lazarus]

I look back on my older work

If i just could sell them. they dont worth dust.

 

[KatShealy]

There is something about drawing or painting that suspends time, don't you think?

 

[Artyczar]

Laz, selling, or not selling never determines the value of your work. Remember that.

 

[Artyczar]

There is something about drawing or painting that suspends time, don't you think?

I lose time when I work, yes.

Welcome to the site, Kat!

 

[snoball]

When I drag one out I usually wind up painting over it. And yes, I can lose a whole day painting.

 

[laf.art]

I have to say that I rarely leave one unfinished for long, like Sno I usually paint over anything that has been hanging around.
I wonder if it makes a difference on the strata you use and also your space. Moving around as I have means I have had to limit what what gets taken to the next place

 

[Artyczar]

I counted and I have five unfinished oil paintings from years gone by and a few watercolors.

 

[drizzlewither]

It took me a decade to take the cellophane off my first four canvases if that counts! then another 10 months to paint on all of them...

I don't have unfinished stuff physically hanging around - but that's because I was almost exclusively digital. Plenty of barely-started swiftly abandoned files have been left behind on computers over the years.