I have often commented on maintaining a fresh perspective when creating Foundlings as it is so easy to get lost in the process.
Usually a change in my perspective helps. Waiting a day or two enables me to see a work in progress with fresh eyes. Fresh eyes are needed as it is so easy to be blinded by the new. This is not unlike stepping into the daylight from a dark room, it takes a while for your eyes to adjust to a new piece.
To be able to see through the shock of the new takes a great deal of effort as there is much distraction in the process as well as the excitement in finding a place for that element that seems to finally complete the work. But caution is advised. It is just too easy to follow a wrong path that takes you far from where you had needed to go.
In this case, what I believe is a circular fish trap, waited a long time to find a place. It has a beautiful texture and yet it was so difficult to integrate it into a Foundling. This texture, as beautiful as it is can easily overwhelm. My hope is that when the entire piece is stained, the trap will integrate in a subtle monochromatic kind of way.
The base for this work, the stained box with interior brown elements, is another of these older Foundlings that never really lived up to my hopes. With this renewed effort, like with the other pieces that I have “pushed”, this work will finally get to where I need it to go.
Only time will tell if this piece will come together in a way that I am satisfied with, but in the meantime, standing on a step ladder to get another view, always helps.
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