During November I will have on display in local venues two selections of my studies of Almscliff Crag …. one in the Square & Compass and the other in the South Square Centre. In preparation I began looking through my racks before we went on holiday. A couple of pieces I decided were rather weak, and I will not be exhibiting them. Their frames are destined to be cannibalised for other pieces of work at some point. One other item, however, gave me pause for thought.
I displayed this particular piece in the last selection I put up in North Rigton, but primarily because of my need to create variety of mood and medium in the display rather than a whole-hearted commitment on my part. Packing it up at the end of the show, however, I had a sudden glimpse of potential that was yet to be realised. The idea was a good one, although aspects of the execution needed to be improved. On my return from holiday I dug it out, took it out of its frame, and put it up on the easel, where it was subjected to a long, slow, and rather sceptical look.
The image in question is a study of Almscliff Crag in winter, which is relatively unusual. I thought that I had managed to convey something of the threatening bulk of the crag. There was a sense of energy lurking in there somewhere. After spending some time just looking at it, I decided that if elements of the composition could be given greater clarity, and the modelling of the rock could be developed in a more subtle manner, it might be made useable again. The sky also was not making any contribution to the whole.
I got to work on it yesterday, and by the end of this afternoon I was rather gratified by the result. It is now back in its frame and ready to join its friends in South Square in November. In fact, I’m quite pleased by it.
The story of this picture is interesting, and probably reflects the experience of many artists. Looking at my records I discovered that it was first drawn in August 2015, but it had evidently gone through a revision process because two figures had been added in the foreground at some stage, and these were not present in the photograph I took for my records. So, this week’s effort it its third time around. Revising my work is not unusual, and I guess that many artists have the same experience. Three “incarnations”, however, must be odd by anybody’s standards. I wonder whether it is finished (I mean really finished) yet? I reckon it probably is.