An Artist's Quandary. When is it finished?

 Hi there. How are you?

I've been back in the studio, making work for the fast approaching art fair season. I've been starting lots of work.....but not finishing it. Let me explain.

I'm always good at starting a piece. Ideas and compositions come to me quickly. I like to work intuitively and spontaneously. I like to work fast. The finishing is where I get stuck. How do you know when a piece is finished? I have a tendency to overwork things, so I get nervous at the end.

This abstract piece was based on a drawing from my sketchbook. I finished the drawing part of it, but it seemed to need something, but what? I was pondering another collaged paper element somewhere on the right side of the composition. Or maybe it needs nothing at all?

Same thing happened with my newest bird piece. I finished up the bird and branch, but this piece still needs something. I usually add a little cut paper embellishment at this point.  I experimented with that for a time, but nothing felt right.

Instead of rushing things at this point, I've learned it's best to just leave them for a spell. I'll come back in a day or a week and something will come to me. And sometimes the answer is just to do nothing....It was already done.

Fellow artists, makers, creators, do you ever struggle with this? When do you decide that a piece is complete? How do you know? Do share!

Thank you friends for tuning in. Ta-Ta for now!