Why I Tinkered Out the Whimsy

I am notorious with my cousins for knitting something - like a whole sweater - then deciding that I don't like it, or I'll never wear it, or it doesn't fit the right way, so instead of letting it languish, I'll rip the whole thing a part and start again. This doesn't normally happen to me with paintings or my art in general. One of my old co-workers used to tease me for how attached I would get to my demos and pieces. But last night this same feeling finally caught up to me with "Don't Tinker Out the Whimsy"

"Don't Tinker Out the Whimsy" started as a piece for the Square Foot Show last year, that I gave up on for a while and then pivoted from for that show. It was a challenging piece with a gazillion petals, and something about it that I just couldn't crack. For a while, I thought it was just the background throwing me off because the flowers seemed done so why didn't the piece feel done? But then even after changing the background and declaring it finished, it still never felt right to me but I figured maybe it just wasn't a favourite piece of mine and I needed to give it some space.

So I gave it space, let it sit and ponder, and introduced it to the world who agreed it felt like a finished piece. But that niggling never went away. And so last night I decided to paint over it. 

And after posting a short story documenting it, was met with a resounding chorus of "NOOOOOOOOO!" 

So whoops.

BUT, I still don't feel like it was the wrong choice! When I now look at my cobalt (hue) blue square now, I don't feel panic over what I did. I see a new promise of daffodils and anemones from the bouquet that Bre at Wild Bobbin let me take a picture of yesterday. 

I see leafy green vines stretching out to the edges, and the big red peonies that are going to bloom soon in my backyard. 

I see a new bleeding hearts painting.

I see so many new possibilities that not only will I love better, but hopefully you will too. 

So while I'm grateful that everyone is thoroughly appalled by my actions, please also be excited for all the new possibilities that are about to happen as well - I know I am.