When I last shared this painting, it was beginning to take on a warm, colorful personality. I had started with pink and orange, letting the colors evolve and seeing where the painting wanted to go.
Well, it turns out it had a little more evolving to do.
As I spent more time looking at it, I realized I wasn’t completely happy with some of the bolder areas. They were competing for attention a little more than I wanted them to, and the overall feeling I was after was softer and more dreamy. So instead of adding more strong colors as I sometimes tend to do, I decided to add more layers of light.
Working over some of the stronger areas with softer shades helped quiet them down while still allowing the layers underneath to show through. I love how mixed media paintings can work this way. You don’t necessarily have to erase something you don’t love—you can transform it, soften it, or let it become just a small part of what comes next.
And I think that’s what this painting needed.
The pinks, peaches, oranges, and lavender are still there, along with the textures, marks, little clusters of dots, and touches of gold. But now they feel more integrated. The lighter layers create a hazier quality that is much closer to what I had imagined.
It’s still not finished, though. I’m getting closer, but there are a few areas I’m still looking at. Sometimes I know immediately when a painting is done, and other times it takes a little patience. I might make another change, or I might simply leave it on my easel for a while and see what I notice the next time I walk past it.
That’s one of my favorite parts of creating abstract art. The painting can change direction several times before it finally tells me, I’m done.
For now, I’m enjoying this softer, dreamier version. We’ll see where it takes me next.
Thank you so much for stopping by and following along with this painting’s journey. I hope you have a creative and wonderful day!
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