Failed Painting in a Jar 1

Sometimes, a painting simply doesn’t work out. However, the final object—regardless of its success—represents many, many hours of labour. That labour was not completely unfruitful. It was spent exploring mark-making, processing emotions and developing skills.

To me, a failed painting has a poignancy that a successful painting does not. It represents so much time and energy. Malcolm Gladwell suggested that we need “10,000 hours of deliberate practice” to master anything we want to become an ‘expert’ in. This painting, originally called Tipping Point* and painted for my 2024 Anti-bland Brigade exhibition at THIS Gallery, did not sell from that show. It sat in my storage until 2026, when I decided to try sanding it down and reusing the surface. Sanding canvas rarely works, though. I couldn’t get rid of the large ‘nubs’ I’d added when making Tipping Point.

So, despite my efforts, the next painting was never going to work.

*Coincidentally, Malcom Gladwell also wrote a very good book called The Tipping Point. I don’t recall whether I was thinking of that when I painted this. I have read it though, so maybe…?

Here’s what Tipping Point might have looked like in someone’s home.

See what I mean? This painting was doomed.