A Bird in the Hand

In my previous post, showing the stages of this painting

 Linda B. asked me a very good question: 'Would you mind sharing the purpose of the "overpainting"? i have seen this in other paintings and it seems to cover beautiful work - i always hold my breath to see the next step!'

 I've asked myself the same question when I see artists covering up something wonderful. The only answer I've been given is that painting over something, sometimes many times, adds depth.

I think over-painting does adds depth, but these are my reasons for over-painting: I over-paint to cover a shape that doesn't fit in, to change a colour that clashes with the rest, to smooth out rough areas, to soften dark or harsh marks, and sometimes to cover bits that I don’t like. But I do preserve what I like.

 Thank you, Linda. I hope this answers your question.


Simplicity is the removal of the useless and the unnecessary--source unknown