Librarian Recommended

Did you know that many famous artists left behind unfinished works?

I was down a random YouTube Rabbit Hole one day and came across this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VDVo9akCiQ, which became the inspiration for a program in which patrons would learn about these unfinished art pieces and then get a chance to finish them in a fun and creative way. This program works well for adults and teens, though I would not recommend it for kids under 12.

What You Will Need:

• Unfinished art, of course. I used the following pieces, which I simply printed on a high-quality printer on regular paper, but there are SO many more out there for you to choose from:

1. Unfinished Portrait of FDR by Elizabeth Shoumatoff: https://www.artsheaven.com/art-interrupted-the-5-most-famous-unfinished-paintings/
2. Unfinished Oil Sketch of Young Woman’s Face by Susan M. Owen: https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/unfinished-oil-sketch-of-a-young-womans-face-18523
3. Portrait of George Washington by Gilbert Stuart: https://www.invaluable.com/blog/unfinished-masterpieces/
4. Still Life with Water Jug – Cezanne: https://www.frieze.com/article/cezanne-tate-modern-2022
5. Mont Saint Victoire Seen From Les Lauves – Cezanne: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/post_b_819376
6. Bouquet of Peonies in a Green Jar – Cezanne: https://www.npr.org/2016/05/31/479584758/you-gonna-finish-that-what-we-can-learn-from-artworks-in-progress
7. Artist Drawing from a Model – Rembrandt, Touring Road – Cezanne https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-33167569
8. Self Portrait – Anthony Van Dyk and Old Man Shading his Eyes With His Hand: https://www.nga.gov/features/slideshows/the-unfinished-print.html#slide_18
9. Composition with Double Lines and Yellow – Mondrian: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/665942

• Canvas paper (optional)
  • I had this on hand in case people wanted to back their art on something a little more sturdy, or if they wanted to just draw or paint something original.
• Drawing supplies:
  • Pens in various colors
  • Colored pencils
  • Standard pencils
  • Sharpies in various colors
  • Paint Pens
• Classical Music for background (I found this was really appreciated by the patrons who found it relaxing).

I did not provide paint for a variety of reasons, mainly it takes forever to dry and this was an hour and a half program. Paint pens worked great though and we much less messy, and dried faster than paints would have.

Program Structure:

The program was set up in a room with “classroom style” seating – basic desks in rows and seats. I had two tables at the front of the room with the art patrons could choose from and another table with all the art supplies.

Each piece of art also had a card explaining who painted it, when it was painted and why it was unfinished.

I began the program by showing the video linked above and explaining my inspiration. I then talked a little about some of the pieces I had chosen and told them they could choose any they wanted and “finish” them in any way that struck their inspiration.

At the end of the hour and a half, I encouraged patrons to take home one or more unfinished pieces and complete them at home as well.

Program Outcomes:

The patrons in attendance ranged in ages from early 20’s to mid 70’s.

All of them let me know they hoped to have this program offered again with different artwork so they could come back.

With the 2025 CSLP program theme being “art” I will definitely be hosting this program again in the summer.

Overall – a smashing success! Below are some of the finished pieces, though honestly we were having too much fun for me to take more pictures!