Anybody ever get into this mode?
This was the term we used at HP (back in my previous life as an engineer) for getting mired down by over-thinking something, to the point that you can no longer take action. Of course, given the cautious, analytical tendencies of many R&D engineers, there was always a natural tension with the gung-ho marketing types (e.g., me).
In any case, I’ve been getting stuck here lately. I came home from my winter workshop and whipped off two lovely little miniatures that I find enormously satisfying. Then I go to do something larger, and I’m paralyzed by trying to re-create the freshness and appeal of those little pieces; I agonized over subject matter and composition for several days, changed my mind about 50 times, made up my mind, got prepped for a painting, THEN changed my mind again. I finally DID another painting – but I’m not happy with it. The miniatures that I like so much had very little investment in prep or study sketches; they just popped into my head as ideas and I rolled with the inspiration.
So – WTF?? is up with this kinda thing?!
I’ve learned that if I DON’T take my time on compositions and study sketches for larger pieces, the results can really suck. And boy, am I good at beating myself up for wasting canvas, paint, and time on a painting that doesn’t work. But – where’s the right balance between prep and over-work?
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