I suppose almost all artists struggle with one thing or another, or many things. One of the things I sometimes struggle with is avoiding too-sharp edges around all the various shapes in the painting. I think that too-sharp edges tend to confuse the eye...if all edges are sharp it can suggest the same level of empasis for every part of the painting, which can be boring.

Sure enough, when I thought I was almost done with this painting I took a lunch break and then returned to it only to find I disliked it. My immediate thought was that this would be one for the trash bin, but then thought of why I didn't like it...its crisp-edged shapes. With the idea that I had nothing to lose, I grabbed a large bristle brush and dragged it across edges and from one shape to the next, bringing color with me from place to place. The paint was still completely wet and it was a playful and lighthearted experience. I kept going until I liked the painting and then I stopped, leaving the result you see above. I did not soften all edges in the painting, leaving some sharp to increase the emphasis on the related elements.

This is an oil painting of a scene in a town in the south of France. It is 24 x 30 inches.