Swimming Against the Tide

I'm working on a mixed media piece that is constrained. It stays within boundaries. My colors follow the accepted triad of colors on a color wheel. I've been careful to squint and check values. Every few minutes I stare at the composition to make certain that my eye moves around the canvas. I ask questions—do I have a center of interest?

Yet, the canvas acts like a vise. Paint needs to drip beyond the edges and colors morph beyond acceptable combinations.

The shapes on the canvas, with their hard edges, refuse to infringe on the other shapes. Order and not chaos. Yet, I like the way the piece progresses—refusing to slip into a diaphanous and amorphous daze.