Aphorisms for Artists by Walter Darby Bannard

Aphorism #25

A work of art is never finished, it is abandoned.

Leonardo may have been the first to say this, and it is still true.

A work of art is a living accumulation of creative judgments. Each judgment is a reflection on, and change to, the existing accumulation.

It is never quite clear when a work is finished because it can only be finished when the artist can’t find anything to improve. Sooner or later, however, it must be done with.

Creation, by its nature, is never complete.

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