hey! there's a cow under there!

untitled (but, not for long!), 30x24, acrylic on canvas

Sometimes i paint over other paintings, ones that have been in process.  This can be challenging and feel like another leap of faith.  

Why can't I just finish what I've started?  Even though it may not be noticeable or it may seem ever-so-subtle, my approach to a painting evolves everyday.  A painting in progress that inspired me months or years ago is more difficult to tap into in the present day.   

I will either paint over something immediately or gesso over certain parts, turning the canvas in different directions until I see a hint of something else.  I have always done this but, over the past five years or so, I've made sure to thank the initial piece before drawing or painting over it.  This assists with the grief. And it's true: I needed the painting underneath to create the final piece.  So, what appears initially as loss becomes gain.

Oh, yeah, and there is a cow under there...