How Long Did that Take You To Paint?

This is one of the most common questions that artists are asked. Usually this question is asked by someone just learning to paint or by someone who just enjoys art. Some artists have come up with clever answers "Twenty years of learning about painting". But the reality is that it is a very difficult question for ME to answer. For instance the painting shown here, is a smaller painting than my previous stacked still life but it's taking me twice as long to paint and by the time I am finished it will be much longer than that. So though my answer is truthful; "As long as it needs; any where from two full days to two months" it is never a very satisfactory answer to the questioner.

I am not a fast painter. I don't always approach a painting in the same way. I change up systems of investigating the objects and every day I observe something different. This is the excitement of painting from observation; every day there is something new, surprising or intimate that I didn't observe the day before. If it is a drawing correction, I always make the correction. If it is a value or color change, then I have to use my artistic decision as to whether or not to put it into the painting.

This painting because of it's design will be very exciting when it's FINNALLY completed. But the drawing problems of the multiple ellipses of the bowls and rims is giving me the challenge. It seems that every day I must make a drawing change. Why I didn't see it the day before, I can't really tell you. I suppose that when one change is made it shows up another change that needs to be made. After all, everything is connected to everything. And beside that my teacher, Barney Rubenstien believed that "Every painting problem is a drawing problem". He might be right.