Isn’t anyone else painting and posting? Am I supposed to be in class today? Whatever, I’m staying home. Believe it or not, I took Ken’s suggestion and went almost full abstract on this alley night scene. This is 8 x 16 on 300lb paper, so there’s a lot of paint here. They way I photograph things seems to emphasize brushstrokes— not sure they add to the overall effect, but they’re not as prominent in real life.I like this, but I think the blue at the top should be darker and more neutral.
This is a more impressionistic version of the same scene. This is 8x8. I found this Grumbacher pad of 30 sheets for $7 or $8 at Walmart. It’s a 140lb and pretty good paper. This borders on cartoony, but I like the sense of light in this.
Here’s my still life for the week. Again, 8x8.
I watched a number of painting videos this week, mostly about night paintings, ie after dark scenes.. This one guy drew the most minimal sketch and slapped the paint with abandon and produced one of those fabulous, I-just-dashed-this-off paintings that highlights all the good things about watercolor. He took his time with some details, but it didn’t have the fussiness that seems to invade my paintings. He seemed like he was having fun…what a concept!
No, we're not back until next week--you're good. I like the abstracted alley's shapes. I also like how the light spills onto the side of the garage. I think you're right about the top color block needing to be darker or more neutral. On the second one, I like the happy whimsical feeling. I wonder if the yellow should be paler, subtler or somehow different? Or maybe the surrounding colors need to be more saturated to match the yellow? No, I really like the variety in the darks. I am a big fan of your still life paintings. I like the angles and the objects going out of frame... but I'm not sure what's in the head of the statuette. Is it a basting brush? I want to see more of the objects or less (just the handles or more of a clue as to what I'm looking at). See you next week!
ReplyDeleteThat’s a miniature Toby mug - my mom had quite a collection of them. He’s holding a house trim paintbrush, a toothbrush with a bent head, and a mop brush, of which you only see the handle.
DeleteYou are right about the top. I like your impressionist version with your complete disregard for horizontal and vertical truth. Reminds me of an artist I saw in Mississippi whose similar disregard made me jealous. How freeing that must be.I especially love the bright yellow.
ReplyDeleteWho wants to have fun at our age?
ReplyDelete1. A nice composition, and doesn't if feel great to be free of that stubborn, demanding reality?
ReplyDelete2. I really like this one. Has a nice topsy turvy feel to it and like the yellow center.
3. I like the gravy bowls, but I don't think the toby thing and that napkin are not pulling their weight. Maybe if you outlined them more strongly?
Sara, you're still cooking. The more abstracted alley at night looks good, and I agree with you about darkening the top blue. And the topsy-turvy version is really fun to look at, not cartoony at all. The colors and shapes all work together to create an interesting mood. Like it's going to tell a story. The two ceramic pieces are so dramatically painted and shadowed in the still life that the rest of the pieces can't compare. You could probably go back into it and sock it to 'em.
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