Failure as success: when ideas are unleashed in shipwrecks

Wow, did I bite it. For a bit.

I spent almost two weeks planning, buying supplies, and building the background across five canvases. Time, money (albeit only about $25), and an over-thought plan for how I would approach the project.

The background came out OK. But the plan for finishing them wound up cluttered with competing visuals that turned a plan for a quiet, meditative peace into Penn Station at rush hour.

• The Silver Lining: Maybe it wasn't that bad, but it did allow me to play with some new tools and to see concepts on canvas.

  
  

• The Pivot: While the original idea for a five-canvas series was scrapped, the first two were absolute standouts, as was a third canvas.

  
  

• The Outcome: The diptych is officially live in the gallery now, titled “Sanctuary.”

  
  

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Official Description:

“A meditative space carved from a flat color field. A limited introduction of friction and texture provides the finite traction needed to open up a viewer’s infinite imagination.”

• Looking Forward: The next salvage operation will be called, “washed.”

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The next salvage operation will be called, “washed.”