Get rid of substandard work

[Karin Wells]

Michele, I understand that someone may love something about a piece of artwork that I do not. This happened to me recently. What I found was that the person was pretty easy to please, so I reworked the piece to my satisfaction with the element they liked intact. They got the painting they wanted and I had the satisfaction that I sold something that I could live with.

Also, don't discount the fact that some folks see the standard price tag for our work but don't want to pay the full price. They are really "bargain basement shopping" and delight in finding something they percieve may have "value someday" and try to flatter us into parting with it for cheaps.

This is another good reason to destroy really bad work - before someone sees it.

[Steven Sweeney]

This being the Caf

[Chuck Yokota]

I wish I had been around to read this thread a few weeks earlier. I had made a couple of experiments in oil painting on some canvas paper, just to learn about mixing paint and painting it on. I had made very quick sketches from magazine covers, not even worrying about getting the proportions right, to have something to try to copy.

I had dinner with my sister and her husband, and they wanted to see what I had been up to. My brother-in-law asked me if I was going to frame them, and I said, "No, they are just experiments; I'm going to throw them away." He asked for them, and without thinking I gave them to him.

Well, now he is showing them to one and all as demonstrations of my artistic talent. I cringe to see the drawing errors, and the horrible muddy messes where I tried blending colors. He is so proud of me, and can't understand that I don't want these to represent me.

[Michael Fournier]

Ah, the joy of alla prima painting. If it's bad wipe it off before it dries or paint over it. I have used the same canvas about 5 times for open studio studies. I have framed a few recycled canvases and so far they have not had any bad effects to having been painted on a used canvas.

If it was truly good at that time but you later feel it is substandard I would advise (especially for the most accomplished artists among you) that you give it another day or two to reconsider its destruction. Just because a piece is not your best effort history may look at it in a much different light than you do. What would you give to see the early work of Rembrandt that may have been destroyed by his own hand?

Especially for the more accomplished artists out there, you often have a much more critical eye than others. Sharon, having seen some of Georgia O'Keefe's early work and felt that it was some of her best work I hate to think of the beautiful works we are deprived of because of over zealous destruction of so called substandard work.

Although I would admit a bad piece of work can be detrimental to your career, especially if you include it in your portfolio, a piece that is just not your best effort but still a decent piece of art might just not be as bad as you feel it is.

Also I think that the worst work of the best artist is still better than the best work of many who just think they are good. So destroy if you must but just don't get too carried away.

Also consider the changing taste of art. Your own modesty may have you destroying a piece that might hang in a museum retrospective of your work some day. And who knows, it might even be considered by some to be one of your best works. Of course it may also be the horror of this thought that is motivating it's destruction.

I often wonder what works of great masters we all will never see just because being the perfectionists they were motivated them to destroy work we today would consider to be a masterpiece.

Oh well. Just don't breathe the fumes from the fire, Karin, and have a glass of wine as it burns as the fumes go up the chimney. Think of the fortune we could have if we had all the lost works of the great masters.