Return to Minerva - Design Elements

While working on this painting, I was constantly thinking about colors, warmth vs coolness, and size of shapes as well as whites, darks and mid-tones. I don't know why I was thinking so much - maybe it was because it was more abstracted than a regular painting; maybe because I was painting nothing but shapes with a figure worked inside/around them. Anyway, this was the first time I just automatically thought that way. I think it means I'm finally "becoming" an "artist," or at least I'm thinking like one :) But I also was getting tired and should have quit before I did - so there are still some things that need to be worked on before it can be called done. I'm thinking of using some opaque colors now and maybe using more calligraphy lines and stamping to finish it off.







I'll take it back to class tomorrow and try to finish it off with some strong lines and more "intention" behind the shapes.

The latest Watercolor Artist magazine has a great article about artist, Cathy Hegman, who paints on gessoed gatorboard and hardboard as well as illustration board. She creates some gorgeous, colorful, textured watercolor and gouache paintings. Check out the August 2008 issue if you can get a copy! She starts the article with these words:

"In every good painting, the artist leaves bread crumbs for the viewer to follow. Personal content, characteristic brushwork or individual marks and symbols provide evidence of the journey the artist took to get to the finished piece."

I like that image - but so far my bread crumbs got mushed up somewhere in this painting - or maybe I got hungry and ate too many of them!