#WIP

Each day I walk into my studio and some days my brush is a magic wand but sometimes it's a piece of lumber.  The important part of that sentence, the take away thought, is "each day".

All the best brushes, top notch paints, stacks of sketchbooks + good intentions = nothing until I walk through that door and do something to move myself forward.

Surprisingly, sometimes I find going backwards is a way forward too. 

A case in point. I rework older paintings. You know, the ones that sit faced to the wall or on a shelf, even hanging in my own living room! Passing by it each day, all of the would have, could have, should haves nudge it back onto my easel. A #WIP, a work in progress, is filled with possibilities to learn, experiment and grow in my skills. I don't need to reinvent the wheel with each painting. A new idea is wonderful but if it's not working out that day I don't walk away. I look over my shoulder at that stack. Remember the past informs the present. My skills grow with each stroke and the artist I was a year, month, week or a day ago is not me today. 

Here are two paintings the first was painted in February and posted. I feel that it had potential yet.... so the second one is the same painting reworked today. I look at the first version and see a good solid idea painted with a knife and the second version a fuller expression of color and detailed with brush.

 Each has it's merits.Which would you choose?