These recent efforts in painting "free-er" and "loose-er" have me wondering every time, "Have I gone too far?" Is the color scheme effective? Are my soft edges too extreme? And the BIG one...Is the texture too wild and chaotic? I enjoy working in this style, but I'm also hoping to produce a "good" painting... one that has viable substance, something to share.
Hi Carol, This is a lovely painting!! I'm not sure if you are just talking to yourself or asking for input but I really, really like this. The only minor thing for me is the saturation of the yellow in the background is pulling my eyes away from the pears, the center of attention. Can't wait to see more of your paintings!
ReplyDeleteI guess this is the part about experimentation that is so freeing and maybe frustrating all at once. Maybe if you explore why you want to try this style of free-er and loose-er and what you think those terms mean, maybe you might be able to decide if your piece says what you want it to say. (Badly constructed sentence aside!)
ReplyDeleteThe piece has a lot of interest though: cool and warm, abstract with more concrete details, and hard and soft edges. Lots to look at!
I'm smiling here, Karla, because I guess I was doing a little of both - talking to myself and wishing for some feedback. Thank you for giving me some input. I think your point is well-taken. I have found that once it's in photo-form it's easier to see it more objectively than it is in person. I think that yellow-green is a bit too intense particularly in the background on the left - the lighter side. I think some additional tweeking may have to happen. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThis is not "too" free and loose. It's great!
ReplyDeleteWell said, Libby. I think to me those words mean using different ways to apply paint - not just smoothing it on with a brush, but putting it on thickly in places, using a palette knife, etc. It also means stepping out of the boundaries - "outside the lines" so to speak or really loose edges here and there. "Loose-er" and "free-er" spells "fun" to me, but not at the risk of being careless and/or messy. I want it to have some validity as a thought-out painting. Appreciate your comments very much.
ReplyDeleteHi Pam! Thank you for writing. Gosh, I love this blogging system where such kind people out there versed in artistic methods and experienced beyond my limitations share their ideas and opinions. It's easy to become "isolated" especially if one lives in a rural area. I've been grateful for the internet and for blogging to become acquainted with such talented people. I'm grateful for the "boost."
ReplyDeleteGreat painting! I especially love the texture in the background and the small darks in the stem areas. Great!
ReplyDeleteCarol, love this painting..the colors just play so well off each other, the perspective is fun...and the brushwork..lovely.
ReplyDeleteLove this one carol!
ReplyDeleteThis is stunning! My eyes opened wide as your blog came up . . . such a wonderful dynamic quality! It has excitement . . . I totally understand the drive to explore and push past the expected. Not sure if I would know what I wanted a painting to say, it's more a need to feel that inexplicable mysterious "something" for me.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Karen. I love doing that texture. I'm sure there are many different ways to apply a mottled background. That is an area I need to research. Thanks for writing!
ReplyDeleteHi Julie,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind comments. I had the pleasure of enjoying your blog today. What a talent you have. Your work embodies exactly what I love about watercolor - it's delicacy and suggestive nature. Just beautiful!!
Thank you, Carol. I don't know how many pears I've painted in the last few years, but it's a BIG number. I go back to them time and time again as I love their shapes, personalities and availability. Always much fun!
ReplyDeleteHi Lorraine,
ReplyDeleteI probably didn't say it very well in my post. I guess what I meant to say was that as I experiment with technique and try things that are out of my normal repertoire, I still want the painting to "read." It doesn't have to have some great meaning or even be interpretive. But, I'd like someone to look at it and recognize something "different" about it, something pleasing, hopefully, but some combination of color or strokes or composition or texture that makes it a "different" ordinary.
My gosh, can you tell it's a late night?!!
Hi Carol,Its absolutely delight to see you painting in this free and loose style.It has so much freshness to it.The texture too is perfect and I don't find it any "chaotic".You are moving in absolutely right direction.Keep painting.:)
ReplyDeleteVery kind words, Yasha, and I appreciate the feedback. I'm so grateful for the encouragement and you taking the time to write. Hope all is well with you.
ReplyDeleteI really, really like this! Wonderful light on those pears, especially the light on the front stem. I like your loose brush strokes a lot. Beautiful!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Virginia. Isn't it fun to play with lighting? Some days you just feel like having DRAMA in your setup so you adjust the lighting to accomodate that. Other days it might be good to be MELLOW, so you reflect that as well.
ReplyDelete