There's a quote that I thought was attributed to William Turner, the British landscape painter. But I can't find a source to verify my story anywhere. Whether or not he said it, I have embraced this quote as part of my art doctrine.

"A painting isn't truly finished until the artist has abandoned it."

The story I heard, (again I have no proof of this other than a foggy memory) is that William Turner was often not satisfied with his completed paintings. The story goes that he would sneak into the British Museum, paints in hand, and start touching up his own paintings. The British Museum! Can you imagine? A little old man with paints, pallete, and brushes painting right there in the gallery? The guards had to chase him out! (That's how I heard it)

"Please! No! Wait!...Just a touch of cobalt blue by that tree!"

Did the guards expect him every Friday? Did he wear a disguise? How did he conceal his supplies?

For me it's not a far stretch. Sometimes I have to live with one of my paintings for a while before I notice something that I am compelled to "tweak." I've dreamed about my paintings....before, during, and after painting them. For the most part, what you see, the photos of the paintings on the website, (or in person) is what I imagined it to look like as a completed painting.

All that said, the painting I worked on last week is finished. However, "Magnolia" has not been abandoned.