Wednesday, December 23, 2009

NOW IT'S DONE!

It was too pretty and I didn't like it so...with the help of an extra pair of eyes (thanks, Sandy!), I cropped off bits that didn't do a thing to help the painting. I also ran the blue through and behind part of the top flower, zipped up the color with some orange on the flower and toned down the edges of the pads and stuff with a glaze of quinacridone burnt orange and a touch of orange.






Now it's done!

What was wrong with it before? The flower wasn't the star - it was just as much about the pads and water as it was about the flower. The flower had no zing to make it stand out from the pads and water. The blue flowing became a star in it's own right and, as much as I loved that, it had to be changed and some pads pushed back.

Sometimes it's hard to get to this point on your own so I was happy to have Sandy look at this and offer several suggestions - although she was a bit shocked that I so readily cropped off the edges (I wasn't in love with anything on it so why not get rid of what didn't work? ha ha).

My goal for 2010 = Less Pretty, More Power!

17 comments:

Angela said...

It's gorgeous! I love the colors and I love the background - the way it just moves back back and forth...and the flower - wow!

Hope you have a great Christmas Rhonda! =)

Barb Sailor said...

You are right! Everything works now - your colors are stunning, as is the technique used - I think this is one of your most successful paintings. Great work!

Watercolors by Susan Roper said...

You may not think this is pretty, but I think it is beautiful! Look at that glow of that flower, no problem with that being missed as the featured player in this painting. Great job on this, Rhonda!

jgr said...

WOW! This is a big improvement on an already wonderful painting!! Thank you for sharing your process. Merry Christmas!

RH Carpenter said...

Thanks so much, Angela, Barb, Susan and Jane. I think it's a better painting now, too - I have scissors and I'm not afraid to use them! ha ha The addition of some power colors and push-pull helped this one a lot. Thanks so much!!!
Susan, it's not longer "just" a pretty painting but now a pretty good painting :)

Pam Johnson Brickell said...

Oh, Rhonda!!!! WOW! I agree with all of the above. It's so helpful having a second set of eyes. How we learn from them for future work, too!

Have a lovely Christmas!

Christiane Kingsley said...

It's more than a pretty good painting:-) It is a powerful and pretty stunning painting. I really like it.
Well done!
Christiane

debwardart said...

Just don't run with those scissors! It looks good! Hope you and Jerry have a good Christmas!

laura said...

Great goal! Mind if I adopt it too? (Though I haven't quite internalized my 2009 goal--think!--yet.)
This is really a beautiful painting; thank you for sharing your thought process; I often find I don't know where to "go" and that it's hard for me to pull one color into another--especially with blue: I'm so afraid of sullying it, but the effect is actually the opposite!

Chris Beck said...

I think you got pretty AND power -- this is a fabulous painting, Rhonda!! Wishing you all the best in the New Year!!

Ann Buckner said...

Great color, vibrant, fresh.

Merry Christmas to you, Rhonda & Jerry

Vicki Greene said...

No it isn't pretty, it is beautiful. The painting is just dancing! Wishing you a very blessed Christmas!

RH Carpenter said...

Gosh, you all are going to make me blush over this one - but it really wouldn't have gotten finished without Sandy's help on this - suggestions for bringing the flower forward and pushing the other stuff back without losing what I liked so much about it.
Thanks Pam, Christiane, Deb and Chris - and Laura, you can use my goal, too :) Reminds me of Tim the Toolman from that Tim Allen sit-com for long ago - More Power!!

Suzanne McDermott said...

Good work, Rhonda! It's beautiful. I wish you and yours a very merry Christmas!

http://www.onpainting.wordpress.com said...

More pretty and more power.

SueD said...

Rhonda,

Haven't been to your blog for awhile. Boy do I love that water lily. Really grabbed me. I am sorry your mother has been ill--hard at anytime and especially during the holidays but glad she is on the mend. Hope you have a powerful 2010 just as ordered. SueDthwoet

RH Carpenter said...

Thanks, Sue. Mom is on the mend now - home and reading and, hopefully, getting some rest and not trying to do too much.