The goal for this piece was to incorporate soft or
disappearing edges as much as I could.
I found that using a fan brush really helped with this.
At one point I thought I might
be finished, yet I "felt" it needed something more.
An artist friend agreed with me, and she suggested darkening
the values of the shadows from the plums,
from the jar and in the foreground.
She said so often if something doesn't feel "right"
the problem often lies with the values.
She was correct because when I lowered the values
of each of the above areas it made a huge
difference.
This painting is done on a wooden cradled panel and I painted
the sides the same soft blue used in the painting.
So pure and clean lines, really like the softness of the colors, and how it all reads white even though actually it is not :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jane. I enjoyed the process of this one and felt pleased with the way the edges turned out. So often I find my edges tend to be "hard" and defined more than I expect. Even though I try to make them softer it seems I end up with clearly delineated edges. So, perhaps this is a direction I can maintain. Your words were most kind and uplifting. Thank you!
DeleteWhat a delightful painting,love the mottled colours in the background and all those soft edges. Getting values right is really important, can lift an otherwise so-so painting to something special.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely, Diana! I'm happy with the newer version. I'm glad you like the mottled colors. It's such fun to take the colors on the palette one is using and make a background from them. I hope your show goes well and that you're feeling better.
DeleteOh this is so beautiful Carol. The colors are outstanding. Your reds are so perfectly done on these plums. Love the way you caught the delicate reflections on the white jar too. Such a wonderful piece of art friend. Hope you are having a delightful day. Hugs!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Debbie! Plum colors are not as difficult to mix as tomato colors. Plums tend toward blues and a red/purple while tomato colors are more pure reds and oranges. I'm glad you noticed the colors on the white jar. White just kind of grabs reflections so easily. Hope you are having a great week!
DeleteCarol, we are studying the use of black in art class and you just demonstrated it beautifully. But my favorite part is the range of whites you used. Just wonderful....makes my eye wander all over the painting.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to be a little fly on the wall in your class, Helen! You seem to cover so many interesting and important concepts. Thank you for writing such a nice comment!
DeleteI feel like I can just pick these fruits up eat them! SO realistic and yet... amazing colors and love those lost edges!!!!
ReplyDeleteI had a good time with those edges, Hilda! I used that fan brush to push and pull the paint and was surprised it did what I hoped. I, like you, like to see lost or disappearing edges in a painting. It gives the work a softness and a bit of mystery. Your latest pastel is amazing. Your granddaughter is a beautiful model and your painting of her was top tier, to say the least!
DeleteI love how you incorporated all the colors into the background. It has such an ethereal feel.
ReplyDeleteLove your tomato story too. Wish I had some of those now!
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DeleteYou know how sometimes you work on a painting and it just seems to flow? This one did that for me. Happens very rarely for me, but I hope I have it happen again sometime! Your latest painting, Carol, of the little boy and his dog is very touching. I can see him looking at it when he is 22 or so and remembering playing with his pal as a child.
DeleteLOVE- LOVE- LOVE the colors in this one, Carol. Yes, your edges are great but, WOW...our color ranges are fabulous.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your enthusiasm and kind words, Julie. This one was such a joy to paint from start to finish. Once in awhile things do go smoothly.
DeleteLove your efforts with painting on copper! Very innovative, and I bet just exquisite in person.
All those whites - so beautifully done! A lovely painting, Carol!
ReplyDeleteYour comment is most appreciated, Susan! It's a very simple piece, really, as far as subject goes, and it was a joy to work. I've always marveled at the range of values that white offers, and this seemed like a good opportunity to use some of them.
DeleteLove the colours you have used and the mottled effect in the background, soft and lovely which makes the plums the stars of the show.
ReplyDeleteYou probably have done a lot of plums with all of your painting, Diana, right? The varying shades of red/purple and blues and yellows are such fun to work with, and I think that plums, like pears, come in a variety of shapes and sizes which are so much fun to capture on canvas. Thank you, Diana!!
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