Caught

Favorite Tree
Watercolor on Arches 100% cotton w/c paper

Caught.

Between a realistic approach vs. a simpler, more expressive approach.

Between an idea of how I wanted this to look and, to paraphrase Frank Conroy, that "pure idea" destroyed by "impure reality" -- in this case, my lack of skills.

Between wanting to stay on this learning curve and wanting to abandon it because, now that I'm trying harder, it seems like the art gets worse instead of better.

And so it goes.

I've encountered this phenom in my writing life. Why should the painting life be any different?