“Autumnal Swirl”

$450

Acrylic paint on 16” x 20” x .5” canvas, ready to hang with image-wrapped edges and a black polystyrene frame.

(Shipping is an additional cost.)

Sometimes artists begin a painting with a clear vision. They know exactly where they're headed and simply follow the path. This painting was definitely not one of those.

It actually began as an entirely different painting—one I was mostly happy with—until I decided to "push it just a little farther." Bad decision. In the span of a few brushstrokes, I somehow managed to turn a perfectly respectable "mostly OK" painting into something I seriously considered throwing out the window.

Instead of giving up, I stopped trying to rescue what I'd lost and began responding to what was in front of me. I found myself sweeping the paint into broad circular movements. Circles have always fascinated me. They're both structured and organic, and whenever I'm creatively stuck, they seem to find their way back into my work.

As the colors blended together, the painting slowly transformed. The greens gave way to warm golds, oranges, and deep reds, reminding me of autumn leaves swirling around a brilliant afternoon sun. The image that emerged wasn't the one I had planned—but it was the one the painting wanted to become.

In the end, this painting reminded me that not every mistake needs to be corrected. Sometimes it simply needs to be followed. The unexpected often has something worthwhile to say.

Notice how the colors change, depending on the light. No digital editing was used.