After last week’s post, my good friend and art buddy Dianne Shullenberger brought up a good question: “In digging deeper and deeper into work is it sometimes bordering on overworking?”

Textural Side View                                                                                                             ©2015 Elizabeth Fram

After thinking about it for a bit, this was my response: “I think there is a fine line between just right and overdone – & one that Gerald Auten recognized we were shying away from by perhaps under-evolving our drawings. My take on the subject is that we just have to be brave and forge ahead. I find when I push beyond my comfort zone exciting discoveries can be made. But as you suggest, sometimes one can overdo it – and then you have to chalk it up to experience.”

Almost finished, in the afternoon sun…         ©2015 Elizabeth Fram

With time and practice I find I am becoming more competent at judging how far to push a piece, although the key qualifier in that statement is “more”. There is no substitution for doing the work, and as you make more work, these mysteries begin to clarify — don’t you think?  This article from ARTNews illustrates that the answer to how far to push a piece is as individual as each artist.