Tuesday, June 29, 2010

FOUR AND TWENTY - SIMMER TIME

Here's where it's at so far. I'm going to let this one simmer...I feel like it needs more of something and I'm tempted to do something right now to it...but I won't. I'll wait and let it tell me what it needs next time I look at it.







Full sheet
Arches 140# watercolor paper
(22" x 30")
using Da Vinci and Golden
fluid acrylics.


What do you think? Are the white (pure white paper) boxes too pure, too bossy?






I'm also going to use the critique form the lovely Myrna Wacknov forwarded to me to see if it meets the criteria for a good composition. (Thanks, Myrna!)

I've already begun another but it's going to take a lot of drawing/tracing before it's ready to paint and I have to be patient or I'll ruin the foundation of the thing. A projector is looking really good right now!

I hope you believe that patience is a virtue (I'm not too sure about that one!), and will wait a few days for the new one to come up.

11 comments:

Lisa Walsh said...

The question you might want to ponder is "What is my center of interest?". That's the area that should have the greatest contrast to draw the eye. The white squares with the black outlines have the most contrast in the painting, and they wind up competing with each other for attention. Maybe picking one to stand out, and painting the others with a light value? Just MHO.

Christiane Kingsley said...

I was going to say that the white areas are fine...after reading Lisa's comment, I may agree with her. I think it all depends on what you will do next:-)

Mary Sonya conti said...

Hi Rhonda, this is so playful. Agree bit with Lisa, have to pull yourself through the playground leap frogging over the white boxes. Good idea Lisa on how to handle that. (Curious about the checklist from Myrna, do you have a 2nd copy to forward) Waiting to see what your doing with this next.

debwardart said...

I concur with Lisa - listen to her - she's got a good eye! Good idea to let it "simmer" and start another - don't rush!!!!! (Gee, like I haven't said that before!!)

RH Carpenter said...

Lisa, that was one thing that I wanted to change but wasn't sure I was seeing it correctly this soon after this stage so glad I've gotten more input on the white boxes - they seem a bit too harsh to me so I'll tone them - which is funny because I want to start maintaining some more whites in my paintings, then when I have them, they look like too much white to me! ha ha
Christiane, thanks! Not sure what I'll do next as it's in the simmer stage for now.
Mary, I'll ask Myrna if it's okay to share - or you could ask her about it.
Deb, you're right - but so many of you have good critique eyes! I have started another but it's in the drawing stage...it's going to be a bit more complicated than this one that came right from imagination.

Artoholic said...

I do love the Blackbirds, being the bird nut that I am.

With regards to the white boxes, maybe you can "play" around with them first in Photoshop or something similiar to see if you really want to change them "for real"?

Cheers,

Cindy

RH Carpenter said...

Thanks, Cindy! Excellent idea - here I am working on learning Photoshop Elements 8 and don't think to utilize it with my current paintings - thanks for the heads up and I'll do this. It will help with my learning Photoshop and help with my composition (possible changes to play with before painting).

Joan Sandford-Cook said...

Every comment is such sound advice, I doubt I have anything to offer, except to say how I admire you that you develop your work as you go. My only other thought is I wonder if you like the idea of creating the larger square the central blackbird is in as the main white focus and remove some of the little white shapes. It then makes this bird the centre of focus with the strong contrasts of black and white.

RH Carpenter said...

Thanks, Joan - a good suggestion about having one of the birds in a box become a focal point.

Mary Sonya conti said...

It's taken several days to try to figure out that put you on the spot. Apologize for asking of Myrna's checklist. Will do my homework and complete a checklist for myself. Forget while blogging we share OUR work and feature other artist's work we admire. If you like you can delete the comment completely Rhonda; again. Sorry.

RH Carpenter said...

No worries, Sonya!! I sent Myrna an email but forgot to do it until today - she's out of town so I'll get something back soon. Don't worry about it. You are right, you could create your own checklist and I should do that for myself, too - remember:
Design Elements: Line, Pattern, Rhythm, Value, Color, Movement through the Painting :)