Taking the time to "sleep on it."

       Taking the time to "sleep on it" is a useful technique for me when I am encountering a problem, including problems on the canvas. I was not happy with what was going on in the lower part of this painting; see below:

       That reddish brown section just wasn't working and I realized that even when I finish all the fringe and doodads it is still going to look less than stellar.

The whole thing was also looking like it had vertical overkill. And I wanted the light to come in behind the fringe looping up by the hands...not the dark background colour...the transition from lighter to darker in the colour of the fringe in that area would give it far more interest...I love variations in colour and value and blendings of these from one to another. I also intend to have the legs mostly covered by the long hanging fringe, with only hints of skin tone showing through. I didn't want the leg colours to be blending with the background colour and disappearing, though.

     The newer, lighter background in the lower portion is not yet finished...there will be small echoes of light, blurred florals, and the whole colour should fade slightly near the bottom, perhaps be a bit darker. All of it will be slightly out of focus bringing the eye back to the top. I hope.

       This happens to me for every painting, I swear. I think I have all my ideas worked out and then I find out that I don't. It was an illusion. Suddenly, often quite near completion, I have to figure out what in the world to do to bring the painting to final fruition. So I have to sleep on it and hope I wake with an answer.