These paintings no longer exist. In our Four Hands project, Susan Cornelis and I live in a world of vanishing images. This is true of all painters, of course, but I have the feeling that the collaboration magnifies the process. The painting can change radically at any time. We can now note and record the changes as their own event; this is also part of our collaborative process.
Carpe diem! Seize the day, the moment, the painting as it exists exactly now.
The Opening Reception for the Four Hands Painting Collaboration will be held on Saturday, March 10, 2012 at the Phantom IV Gallery in Windsor, California. Join us to see the latest versions of these shape-shifters.
Saltworkstudio | Suzanne Edminster 
I don’t know how you can bear changing some of these (or letting Susan change them). Sigh. Another lesson in impermanence. The last one, in particular, is — was — lovely.
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It is hard, sometimes. That last one came out rather well, but blue. Making a few swipes of paint on a piece of paper is not enough— unless it is. Process is what intrigues. Yes, a lesson in impermanence.
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I’m so glad you are documenting the changes as you evolve. It would be fun to see photos in the gallery that show of the path of creation.
And always there is the question of how do you know when to stop? Are you having too much fun?
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Susan and I do have different opiniions of where to stop. I like to stop a bit earlier, she likes to play around with details for a while. But we do put both our minds and art experience together, so I think it’s actually easier to stop without overworking. When there’s another person intimately involved in the quality of the painting, you can’t give up, have a tantrum, or abandon ship. As much.
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Ditto, that it is much easier to stop earlier, and I haven’t noticed any obvious tantrums yet! And I’m loving that when I, for the moment have to give up, there is someone I trust to take over the painting for a while.
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Absolutely. Trust is key. We do both get tired or “saturated” with a certain piece. It’s great to be reminded that we can put it aside for a moment, or let it be refreshed and renewed by another’s brush. We usually talk about the changes first, but sometimes we just tell the other to take free rein and gallop on to wherever the painting leads.
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