April 16, 2025 -      It’s not easy, and it’s a learned process. There. Now you don’t have to read the rest of the post because that’s the short of it. Don’t believe it? Read on. I hear this over and over again. Students ask this question all the time, just like I did ages ago. As a teaching professional, I’ve struggled to find a simple, direct answer. I’ve heard other answers, but felt they didn’t live up to the complexity of the question. “You’ll know you’re finished when there’s nothing else to add.” Gimme a break. That’s just a short response that sounds rich and clever. It doesn’t help. Think about it: what if your painting needs something removed. Drastically removed, like a figure or a tree or the sky or… And what if things need to…