Spot the Differences, Part 2

In the images below, spot the differences between the right-hand side of the original painting as it appeared when first cut (on left) and that same piece once completed (on right):

     

Spot the Differences, Part 1

Spot the Differences is a type of puzzle where players must find differences between two otherwise similar images. These puzzles are commonly found in activity books for children.

I flash back to sitting in a dentist's waiting room as a youngster, searching for such differences between two images in a Highlights for Children magazine.

You remember that You Need Not and You Need Only were originally part of one larger painting that I cut in half.

work in progress before the cut
early August 2019

In the images below, spot the differences between the left-hand side of the original painting as it appeared when first cut (on left) and that same piece once completed (on right):

     

The Latin Root "Cise"

Over the course of a few days, my work in progress made it clear that we were moving from wildflower field

wildflower field

to salt marsh—

salt marsh

—a work-in-progress salt marsh that was asking me to make decisions.

The Latin of the word decision literally means to cut off. Making a decision is about cutting off choices; it is to cut yourself off from some other course of action than the one you choose to make.

Even more literally, in this case, I understood that it might mean cutting this work in progress in half, thereby cutting myself off from developing it in its 18 x 24" size and, instead, developing two 12 x 18" pieces.

I began to entertain the possibility.

Exams

Once I (a) recognized and (b) set aside the unconscious mindset that I was taking an exam upon which my life depended and for which I hadn't prepared, and (c) saw this work in progress as the basic color-mixing and composition study that it is, I (d) relaxed more receptively into the process.

However, calling this a study puts a whole new spin on the word.

I sure never studied this hard when I was in school.

Just sayin'.

Could stop here and might be wise to do so.

…

newest patch (finished? not finished?)

detail

new patch in the bigger picture,
work in progress,
working title: Core Values
[and, yes, our lawn does need mowing]

Uncovering What You Really Have to Say

An article about writing came to mind today as I painted:

Clark: … writing is a way of thinking about something. A way of coming to grips with something. It's a way of uncovering what you really have to say. 

VT: I think a lot of people come up with a main idea once and just want to leave it at that. 

Clark: [But] … then they start writing and all the chaos of the subconscious wells up, and all the disjointed stuff comes out. Somewhere in there is the main idea -- what you really have to say. But you're going have to crush and sift and smelt it out of there. Refine and hone it … [Y]ou don't really know what you're writing about in the beginning. In writing you don't completely know where you're going until you get there. 

VT: It's that feeling of being lost I don't like.

Clark: Well, it helps if you go into it knowing you're going to change your main idea a couple times. Know you're going to start off with a map that is going to get redrawn as you go, which will leave you feeling lost and confused. But know that as the map changes, something solid is going to emerge from the fog and come into sharp focus and lead you forward. It definitely will. And it's exciting to watch your unexpected ideas unfold.

Can't say I'm feeling excited right now. In fact, why did I not stop with yesterday's 'main idea'?

Clearly, the chaos of my subconcious has welled up and landed me in the fog. Now I've got no choice but to get down to crushing and sifting and smelting. Refining and honing.

patch in progress