When you wander across an unfinished paint by number for sale, what are you to make of it? Perhaps the artist decided the bright blues and radiant yellow were the essential part of the image and the rest unnecessary. Maybe the maker meant to come back to the canvas but never got around to it, and a relative cleaning out the closet saw some worth in the remnant abstract patterns. It is even possible the picture has taken on a life of its own, demanding to be finished but without a color key or any other information other than lines yearning to be colored in. Regardless, there is something sad and beautiful about this found image that lingers in the mind and speaks to so much potential still undone. In the end, it is as it should be and rests in a tranquil balance, where any less paint wouldn’t be enough and any more would be far too much.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: CORWIN LEVI
Corwin is a visual artist working in design, illustration, bookmaking, curating, and writing. As an artist, he has attended over twenty artist residencies. He has also have lived in eighteen cities across twelve states. Along with Michelle Aldredge, he co-created Mirror Mirrored: An Artists’ Edition of 25 Grimms’ Tales. He is currently remixing vintage game boards and making a book from illustrations of Alice in Wonderland.
