As Artists What Do You Do With The Work You Don't Like Afterwords?

Question

I did this last fall and until now have never shown it to anyone except a few friends. It’s not because I’m not happy with the results that I haven’t shown it before. But because I don't like the painting. Still, I don't want to discard it or paint over it..

http://pics.livejournal.com/unmired/pic/0002z9br/g11

(Yes, these are it's true colors. I get the opaque sheen effect from adding clear gesso. Creepy, huh! If you're brave enough, you can enlarge the image by clicking on it.)

Have you ever, as an artist, created a work, a sculpture or painting or drawing, and looked at it afterwords and wondered to yourself, ‘What the hell have I done here?’ You ever create something that you don’t personally like after it’s finished but still won’t throw away or paint over? That even if you don't like it you still feel that it will have some meaning to others? Or do you just say the hell with it and paint over it anyway? Or, like me, keep it put away out of sight?

Shy Pie, I don't consider it crap. I just don't like the whatever I had to say here. And I've painted over many a well-intended, but somehow failed, efforts. This stupid thing has it's own life, apart from my conscience efforts.

There are a number of very fine, well thought out answers here and I simply can't select which one is best. So we'll let Yahoo decide. But I want to personally thank you all for your sincere replies.

Answer 1

I think of them as the way parents think of their children. They have their own personalities. I have a couple of paintings I don't really like, but they are true to themselves, they "work" for what they are, it just wasn't what I wanted or intended. They sort of give birth to themselves, though, so I have learned to let them go in the direction they need to go in. Maybe it will resonate with someone else. Actually, the piece I am thinking of was used in a national ad campaign. That didn't make me like it any more, it just made me realize that other people saw qualities in it that I didn't really appreciate about it.

Answer 2

Whether we admit it or not we all do things we don't like. We've all come up with things that during the process seem cool but in the end we kinda go "what was I thinking? Man, what a piece of **** this is!"

Since we're the ones that did it we become attatched to it and can't figure out what it is we don't like. Maybe the idea sucked to begin with, maybe the execution needed something else and we didn't take it far enough or took it too far, maybe it's because it didn't hold up to our expectations. What ever the reason don't throw it out. Keep it.

You may see something in it later and decide to redo parts of it. You may come to realize it was a good idea and do something based on it again.

Your old stuff can be an inspiration when you need it. I have most of what I did in the past and it's fun to pull it out from time to time just to see where I've been. It's also a good wakeup call at times too. You can see what improvements you've made and just how far you've come, Or if you didn't. I think the oldest thing I have goes back to 1980. It's funny how I can put stuff I do now next to stuff I thought was so cool then and it doesn't even look like my stuff. That's the way of things though.

Answer 3

Led Zeppelin The Rolling Stones Whitesnake Cream The J Geils Band The Allman Brothers Eric Clapton ZZ Top Johnny Winter Jeff Healey

Answer 4

I like it, it does have a life of its own as you said so definitely don't paint over it.
Every image created is art and beauty is in the eye of the beholder ;) :D

When I was younger I gave my art away, one was a sculpture of the sun to hang on the wall (made from polyfillar, lol) and a dragon that took a year to scale , to only give away. Now I keep even if I don't like it I know others may

Answer 5

As an artist I rarely, if ever, discard my work. Many times I am unsure if it is finished or not and do not know how or wish to continue working on the piece. At that point I put the piece away out of sight and forget about it only to bring it out at a much later date and usually find a new appeal and approach to complete the work to my satisfaction.

Answer 6

what i would do is make 2 piles. 1 4 the best paintings u really like. 2 4 the paintings u r not sure about or still deciding.i hope that helps.

Answer 7

Don't ever change, paint over or discard a work of art. At the moment of creation, you were in a place that mirrored the created art--maybe that's why you don't like it. What's that saying? One man's trash is another man's treasure.

Answer 8

Pitch it. Someone had to say it, but its what I would do. I would definately not promote the sale of "crap" art -- as this overall will effect how the greater public sees you as an artist.
I believe its healthy to hang on to something long enough to gather what might be wrong with it, but after you have pices you are selling or doing whatever with, its equally important to get rid and cleanse yourself.

Answer 9

personally I like the painting and would show it. I do, however understand your problem. I have a portfolio under the bed made up of work i won't show. I figure that after I'm dead and become famous they'll be worth something to my heirs.

Answer 10

I have a file cabnet full of work I ended up not liking when I was done. And I just didnt have the heart to paint over it or burn it.