When the head rules the heart

This is a style of painting I've been working to replicate for some time now, so I was very pleased with this one when I finished it.  It's not a perfect specimen of the breed, and the colors aren't rendering particularly well on the computer, but I felt I'd finally been able to achieve the balance I was looking for -- a large, meditative, light space, some strong darks to balance it, and some light touches of color and texture to give it impact.

But here's the problem: when I went to hang it in my dining room, in the spot I like to place my current favorites, I hated the way it looked. And that's the first time that's happened, for me: that a painting I liked on the easel didn't work on the wall.  Which means, I think, that I must have been painting with my head, not my heart.

Oh, well.  Back to the drawing board!  I'm tempted to paint over this, but maybe I'll keep it around as a reminder to paint what I feel, not what I think...