One of the hardest things to do after spending so much time and energy on something is to let it go. Human beings get so attached to things. We have a favorite item of clothing, or that piece of equipment (a camera or a bike) that is a beloved hobby that we think we'd just die if something happened to it. Depending on how much money any of these examples cost, sure, it would be upsetting if something did happen to damage them or lose them in some mishap or accident. Creating things, like a piece of art in this case, and just giving it away or dismantling it or repurposing it can be a great challenge.
I mentioned in past posts that our daughter's room is shared with my art studio. When I was organizing and sorting through things to condense everything into a confined space, I ended up with a stack of paintings that I wasn't entirely sure with what to do. One has been shipped off to my future sister-in-law to hang in her office; another two are being saved for embellishing and bedazzling; and the last one....I decided to take apart! The only other time that I ever dismantled pieces of art I made was after a college sculpture class (3-D design at LSU). Since I didn't have never ending storage space, the giant cupcake made from plywood, corrugated PVC, batting and beads got taken apart, as did a copper wire orb, and an acrylic "mysterious ink spill" piece. The cupcake was an installation for our final exam so it was meant to be temporary, and the other two weren't my favorites anyway, so there wasn't much emotional attachment.
The painting that I just took apart the other day, however, took me 9 years to finish! I started it when I worked at Forstall Art Supply in New Orleans in the early 2000's. A friend and I had open studio night after the store closed and had the best time painting and chatting while music played in the background. It was rejuvenating and enjoyable evening to say the least. At the time, it was the biggest painting I'd ever done - about 6"x 5'. It took until last year for me to get the background on the canvas with the acrylic medium I purchased when I was working at the art store! The image I had in my head was quite different from what the actual outcome was. For a while afterwards, I contemplated offering the painting up for grabs or even putting it out for the trash. The other day, I realized that the frame was still perfectly usable and so is the other side of the canvas! Now I plan to save them both for when our daughter is old enough to paint. Maybe she and her cousins can work on a painting together, or she and I.
My friends, when something has a better use as something else or with someone else, don't be afraid to send it on, repurpose it, or to completely start from scratch. Giving something new life is much better than holding on to it for prides sake or for sentimental value. I can't say it's always going to be this easy, but it's a start. Breaking our attachment habits - art related or not - can only be freeing mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, and that's good for everyone.
