Not Every Piece Needs to Become a Print
- Janice Gill
- Mar 26
- 2 min read
Introduction
Not every piece I make is meant to be finished.
Some are simply a way of finding out what happens next.
Letting the Materials Lead
Recently, I’ve been exploring a series of fluid, mixed media pieces on canvas.
Rather than working toward a specific outcome, I wanted to see what would happen if I allowed the paint to move more freely—following its own direction rather than trying to control it too tightly.
The result was a set of pieces that feel more like experiments than finished artworks.
Two Studies in Colour and Movement
These two pieces came from that process.
They share a similar palette—layers of blue, teal, and turquoise—and both have an underwater, almost submerged quality. There are moments within them that I really enjoy: delicate cellular textures, soft transitions, and areas where the paint seems to form naturally occurring patterns.
But as complete pieces, they don’t quite resolve.
What They Revealed
Working on these made something very clear.
It’s not enough for a piece to have:
beautiful colour
interesting texture
or even a sense of depth
For it to hold attention, it also needs:
a clear focal point
contrast between light and dark
a sense of movement or direction
Without those, the eye drifts rather than settles.
These paintings don’t quite have that structure—but that’s exactly why they’re useful.
The Value of Unfinished Work
It’s easy to feel that every piece should become something finished—something to share, or sell, or add to a collection.
But some of the most important work happens when you remove that expectation.
These pieces won’t become prints.
They won’t appear in the shop.
But they’ve already done their job.
They’ve helped me understand what’s needed to take this style further—and what to look for in the next piece.
What I’ll Take Forward
From these experiments, a few things stand out for future work:
introducing a stronger focal point
allowing one area of higher contrast
creating a clearer sense of movement across the piece
It’s those elements that turn something from a surface into a composition.
A Note on Process
If you’re creating work yourself—whether it’s painting, photography, or anything else—it’s worth allowing space for this kind of experimentation.
Not everything needs to be finished. Not everything needs to be shared.
Sometimes the value lies simply in seeing what happens when you let go of the outcome.
Closing
For me, these pieces sit somewhere between study and stepping stone.
They’re not part of the collection—but they’re part of the process that shapes it.
Not everything I make is meant to be seen—but everything I make teaches me something.
Some of these ideas carry through into my finished abstract pieces, where colour, movement, and composition come together more fully.
Comments