It's Never Finished 'Til It's Finished.

Like all artists, I agonise over each and every piece. But the longer I leave a painting on the easel the more I tinker with it, and sometimes it goes beyond it's best point and rapidly goes downhill with each and every brush stroke.

So there are times I finish a painting before it's finished. If you see what I mean.

It happened with this painting, one of a family beach scene series. I wanted the diffuse light to play a big part and also the figures of course. I loved the main group of figures but I also wanted to get the mother hurrying towards her children in it somewhere.
The ideal place was to the left of the group, but I didn't really pay enough attention to how I executed the figure and she was all a bit too heavy for the composition. I have to admit I do struggle with composition at times. Anyway I finished off the painting and it hung in a gallery for a while and nobody bought it.
When I got it home I knew it wasn't one of my best. It just wasn't right.
So I've had a rethink.
Lightened the figure on the left.
Changed the colour of the bucket.
Little things can make a big difference.

Any comments gratefully received! See the box below.