I've had some fun this week tearing up one or two overworked hedgerow paintings in order to liberate them from their tightness! This has worked really well and by collaging parts of them into newer, looser and much more dynamic compositions held together by a range of mark making* I've more than achieved my intention.
It's really interesting how in spite of their abstract nature they have a real "hedge-ness" to them generating an energy and quality lost through over working or trying too hard which was the problem when in their original form.
*Re "mark making" the exercise has encouraged me to consider the vocabulary that I use by making me conscious of the range. I made a list of all my approaches and am surprised at how long it is!
This was a really good exercise for freeing up, and suggesting new ways into the subject as well as for recycling tired work - I'll do more!
