How to know when it is done?

How long has it been — too long! Anyway, I think I am done.

How do I know when I am done? For me it’s when I look at the work and say to myself: “adding more doesn’t make it any better but adding more can (will) make it worse”.

Here are a few other things that I might say or think to myself.

when the thought of doing more just makes me want to not do more (or puke)
when I’m repulsed by every brush stroke
when I want to take a ten inch brush and paint it red
all I see is the negative
when I procrastinate
when I go back to drawing
when I start to think my next painting will be completely different — perhaps a painting of bunnies frolicking in the snow
when my previous painting looks like a masterpiece compared to the current work
when I ask myself why in the world did I even do this abomination
and finally; whatever made me think I was ever capable of painting or being an artist

Big SIGH!!!

Okay back to the task at hand — when will this thing be over? It is over, except I need to think about the background. I’ll take a good photo of the painting, bring it into a paint program and try different background treatments. If a light goes on I may circle back to the real life painting and do the background — or not.