Rework a painting

Sometimes I find after working on a painting for a period of time I just can’t see it properly anymore. I have to leave it and walk away and return to it and rework a painting after a week or even months. It might appear to be finished or unresolved at the time. However when revisiting it I can see the painting with clearer vision. This process of time can change the way I look at a painting. I might be pleased with it when I initially finished it, but on reflection it just doesn’t seem right. So more work needs to be done in order for me to be satisfied with the final outcome.

Below are 4 photographs of a painting I was reworking. Taking photos gives me another viewpoint and can help with colours or see unresolved parts of the painting that just don’t seem clear to me in real life. I have now finished this painting and the large view is the completed painting. It took sometime to get there, but it’s all about keeping going until you are satisfied you have resolved most the issues. Finally it is knowing when to stop.

Before and after reworking