Below is a video of the process that got me to the painting above. It was a canvas I had used for demo purposes at a session reflective art. I used it to show various techniques during a New Year’s painting session to invite the new year and new experiences.
In the process of “redeeming” this canvas, I journey a couple of different places. I started by deconstructing what it had been. I used a drawing of a woman holding her knees that I had done as practice for a different “Held” piece (Held: Safe).
And I will say it again – hands are hard – so, I attempted one hand that ended up looking cartoony, finished it with details, etc. Not satisfied. Wiped it all back with baby wipes and let it dry while I moved on to another piece.
When revisiting, I did a single had large enough to envelope her and protect her. I love the colorful hand showing creativity, warmth, and joy. I also enjoyed every second of this redemption process….even when I didn’t like the aesthetics, I loved the process of pushing paint around the canvas, mixing colors, and adding textures.
As you view this time-lapse, I’m curious what strikes you about the iterative process of redeeming a canvas? Do you see life applications, learning lessons? What comes to mind for you?
A. R. Smith Studios 
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