Standing by water, you look at its surface, but to truly know water you must dive into it. As it is with water, so it is with art. When you spend more time, there is more to discover.

In my search for imagery that has more to offer than a first impression, a lot of rumination goes on. This has made me both a practitioner of slow art and, consequently, a list maker.

So, Rules to live by: Design carefully. Think about gifting every shape in the piece with its own abstract beauty.  Maintain the unity of the piece but look to include disruptive elements. They are essential and will guide the movement, making it fast, smooth, vibrant, or sedate. Make marks intentionally; each stroke has a relationship with its neighbor. Maintain a high level of craftsmanship; you have a contract with the purchaser.  Discover a story line and communicate it clearly; try to engage your audience. 

Oddly it’s not about perfection. Polishing a work can yield gorgeous results, and sometimes you should yield to the urge to work on. But the impulse to polish should always be questioned. Sometimes it’s the right thing and sometimes it leads to work without character. Staying alive to the work the entire time is the key. Don’t be afraid to revise but also be prepared to walk away.

Look for a new discovery. As Louis Pasteur famously said, “chance favors the prepared mind.”

Great work can happen quickly, but it sometimes happens after endless editing sessions.  It has happened both ways to me. Even after more than fifty years making art I can still be surprised.