Repainting Reverie: Why Artists Revisit Old Work

Artists talk a lot about intuition ...that quiet pull that says “this isn’t finished yet” or “this wants to become something else now ” even though you had thought you were done a while back. Well, reworking Reverie was exactly that.

This canvas began as a second to Solara: it was the soft cosy ending to Solara's bright fullness and warm, glowing sunset tones. I did originally love this piece but after a while, I realised it just wasn't stacking up against the glory of Solara and it needed re-working.

Around about the same time, I was approached for a commission from someone who loved the original colours and wanted a painting grounded in that colourway. It was for a bedroom location and needed to feel calm and embody a bit of an awakening. They wanted to lie in bed in the mornings and feel like it was reflecting the calmness of the bedroom, but also a bit of energy to get up and start the day. They were after something deeper and rooted in a different emotional space. Not one of comparison to another.

A New Life for the Canvas

Repainting Reverie wasn’t about covering the past - I thought of it more about continuing it.

Using the same canvas for the commission piece meant I could quite literally build on the original foundation of what they had liked and shift it to a new meaning. Beneath the new layers — the deep burgundies, rusts, rich purples, and soft autumnal tones colour story still lives quietly. You might not see it, but it’s there. A hidden history!

That’s the beauty of reworking: Some canvases simply need more lived experience before they reveal their final voice. I can't speak for others but I don't feel sad at all repainting over older work. I loved the idea of reusing and repurposing this original piece into something bespoke.

So Why Do Artists Revisit / Repaint Their Work?

Creative evolution.

As we grow, our style shifts. Older pieces sometimes want to grow with us.

New stories.

A canvas can hold more than one idea. Sometimes the second idea is the true one.

Emotional alignment.

Art works best when it feels authentic. If the energy changes, the artwork often asks to change with it.

Sustainability.

Revisiting a piece honours the materials, the time, and the story already present.

The Reimagined Reverie

The new Reverie is softer, deeper, more reflective — a floral abstract designed for calm bedroom environment and gentle moments at the very edges of our days.

Just like us, some paintings grow into themselves over time. If you have loved one of my paintings but you weren't quite sure it was the exact right fit, let's chat. Maybe a commission piece would be right to you? The perfect size, and the colour ways / feel that will fit exactly with your space. If you fancy a virtual coffee to talk through options, the kettle is always on!