This is a Man’s world 24 inches by 6 feet, and it looks like this work should be completed this week.  Man’s World was started on about June 21st.  The first couple of weeks spent on a artwork is a given. It is only when a work moves into its third week that the push to finish begins to be felt, especially on the smaller works, such as Man’s World.  On the larger works, for example Thunder,  a month to completion is  presumed. As the number of days grow, beyond this imaginary point, the thought about wrapping up, and the sense of anticipation to what the next work will be, and how soon it will  have to be started, all become concerns. With the beginning of this attitude shift so also begins the challenge to figure out what can be done with the current work to bring it all together, to move it towards a finish.  You live everyday with a painting and it’s effects on your emotions which grows throughout the weeks. Near the finish mental fatigue  reaches a surface point because there has been so much of yourself buried in the canvas.  That moment then begins the process of looking for a end.

Then finally,  the artist meets all of the demands of the artwork and only then is the work signed, although there is still some cleanup left to do.  The signature is a major part of each of these works so it’s placement, color and size are important considerations.  When the signature is painted in, that then means that the signing off of the work has begun and letting go begins in earnest.  With It’s a  Man’s World the moment is not yet.  There is no signature.

Scott Von Holzen