I gather that in mathematics an “asymptotic” curve is one which is always approaching zero but never actually gets there. Today I realised that this idea could describe my current experience as an artist. On several occasions in this blog I’ve referred to the common problem of artists of trying to decide when a work is actually finished. My current situation is the ultimate form of that problem.
Some time ago I “finished” an item in my series of studies of Almscliff Crag. I even went so far as to frame it. After some time it became evident to me that it really lacked a sense of presence. It was factually adequate, but (frankly) boring. Then it came to me that I could improve it by bringing out in it a definite sense of the season, and modified it to convey an explicit sense of it being in winter. (In fact, I gave it a new title: The Lion in Winter.) Although I have shown it the picture continued to irritate me. If it left me with a sense of “So what?” then I could imagine that other viewers would not find it any more interesting. Who could blame them?
I caught sight of it again yesterday, and decided that I would look at it once more, and this afternoon put its on an easel in the studio. After looking at it for sometime I came to the conclusion that the general idea is viable, but there are definite weaknesses in it. I can see ways in which the composition can be strengthened. Although the architecture of the crag is well-drawn it lacks an adequate sense of depth. There are other points of details that lack conviction.
So: it is going to be a case of “back to the drawing board!” Suddenly, however, I had a dreadful vision of an infinite series of reappraisals of this image, in which a succession of improvements are identified and executed …. but that sense of finality permanently evades me. Am I really approaching its completion asymptotically? What a dreadful thought!
Tomorrow, however, we are going away for a week in the north of the Yorkshire Dales, in a tiny cottage miles from anywhere and anybody. We are looking forward to the break. It does mean that there could be a break in this blog for a week. Regardless of official claims communication can be unreliable in the extreme in some rural locations in this country. Whatever else we get up to I will not be worrying over that picture!