I'm shooting for baby-bottom smooth ...

I started a large batch of paintings on 5x7 wood panels last year and am now trying to finish them. It’s good and challenging to have distance from the paintings.

It’s good because I have perspective. I better see things that are working and things that aren’t. In general, many of these paintings are too busy, and I will combine shapes to create larger bodies that can be counterbalanced with smaller ones. I’ll adjust colors accordingly, and everything will shift. What to keep and what to discard; that’s the exciting — and scary — part.

The challenge is to reconnect emotionally and, if possible, to find the “story” of the paintings. I’m not sure what a story in an abstract painting is. It’s much easier to find the story in figurative work. So, for me, the story lies in the colors, forms, lines, and what they inherently evoke.

When they don’t evoke anything, it’s time to revamp.

Last week I painted the sides of all the wood panels black for two reasons. First, to reconnect with the work after such a long absence. Second, to isolate the painting image so I could see the image more clearly, without distraction from the neutral wood color.

It worked. I’m back in the series and see the images more clearly. However, I see the imperfection in the wood sides and don’t plan to frame the pieces. Some paintings are collaged papers that I glued to the wood panel. A few are a little “shy” of the edges, and I’ll need to live with that. A few were “proud” of the edges; they overlapped by a smidge, but sanding will fix that.

I’m too deep to present the work with ratty edges, and I like my small paintings to feel good in the hand, so I’m sanding them to baby-bottom smooth. I’ll repaint the sides with a couple of thin layers of paint with sanding between layers.

In 1984, I learned about baby-bottom smooth in my first painting class with Irene Pijoan at the San Francisco Art Institute. Irene explained the process of painting many layers of true gesso — rabbit skin glue and whiting — on wood, with fine sandpaper between layers to achieve baby-bottom smoothness. Some memories, good and bad, are like yesterday. This is one I keep close on purpose.

How do you reconnect with a painting after a long absence?

How do you finish the sides of wood panels when you don’t frame them?

Does “story” in your paintings matter? What is that for you?

I’d love to know. Add your thoughts below.