This is from a visit to the MFA in Boston. I really like the composition with all the space around the wood carving and the counterbalance provided by the man in the pink shirt. Ultimately, I'm planning a slightly larger version.
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| 12" x 9" |
Besides being a study, this was a chance to play with browns. Brown and I
have had our ups and downs...mostly downs. It's not my favorite and I seem to have trouble mixing subtle shades. So I experimented with nuanced browns. Who knew there were so many ways to reach brown? Playing in my sketchbook, I realized all the complements (in some variation) will get you there—yellow ochre and dioxizine purple; hookers green and alizarin crimson and, my perennial favorite, ultramarine blue and transparent red oxide (is there anything that combo can't do?!). More browns to come, I predict!
You’re so good with grays, you’re not allowed to be good with browns too! I really like the pink shirt painting but maybe the wood carving needs to be bigger or somehow there’s less white space. Or maybe the shadow needs to be bigger? There’s something about the size relationship between the man and the statue that unsettles me…
ReplyDeleteI would leave out the that thing on the right, and make the shirt pinker, but I am quibbling. I didn't notice it in class, but that note taped(?) to the wall is a very nice little touch, inpermance and eternal.
ReplyDeleteNah, I like it. The queasiness is what works. The painting is unexpected and precariously balanced, aesthetically and psychologically/ emotionally. It's a masterpiece.
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