The overhaul of my inventory is progressing well, we have reached about halfway at this point. A tedious task, but already yielding interesting results.
First, a sense of clarity emerges as every piece is registered, and put together with others of the same period or theme. Not only do I know where it is, I also know what I think of it: time is a great appraiser.
Some are discarded, (less than I expected, a nice surprise), a few reframed (while I am at it). And a selected few, retouched. This one was staring me in the eye when I took it off the shelve. I remember when I had put it away in an unresolved state, colors clashing with each other, unable to figure out what to do at the time.
Above is the “after” version and “before” is below. This series was very intuitive and playful, so I wanted to keep that spirit while integrating the forms better into the composition.
Another great benefit is that I am gaining a perspective that spans over four decades. It feels as if I am taking a stroll in my garden, looking at everything that was planted over the years, from the small flowers of spring to the trees with their autumn foliage, in a broad, sweeping vista.
There is much satisfaction to be found in this review, with the process itself nurturing quite a bit of reflexion. And that, who knows, might instigate some very new work.