Aaargghhh! I did stuff it up - I made my nice clean washes into mud and murky browns by putting too strong darks too soon and then making it worse worrying at it instead of going away and letting it dry. Nothing like displaying one's failures to all and sundry (I hope you all learn from this!)
After I finally let it rest and dry, I lifted some of the murk and at last followed Laura's sensible suggestion (see comments on previous post) to work a bit more on the eggshells before going back to those #*!* shadows. If nothing else this work-in-progress exercise will serve to remind me what not to do in future. I will take
Jana's serene advice in her
interview with Liz Massey to learn from the experience, let it go and move on. But I will keep on at this for a while longer, until I've either rescued it, or am totally satisfied that I've utterly botched it.
Aaargghhh! I did stuff it up - I made my nice clean washes into mud and murky browns by putting too strong darks too soon and then making it worse worrying at it instead of going away and letting it dry. Nothing like displaying one's failures to all and sundry (I hope you all learn from this!)
After I finally let it rest and dry, I lifted some of the murk and at last followed Laura's sensible suggestion (see comments on previous post) to work a bit more on the eggshells before going back to those #*!* shadows. If nothing else this work-in-progress exercise will serve to remind me what not to do in future. I will take Jana's serene advice in her interview with Liz Massey to learn from the experience, let it go and move on. But I will keep on at this for a while longer, until I've either rescued it, or am totally satisfied that I've utterly botched it.
Posts
8 comments:
Come now sister - you are WAY too hard on yourself. I see what you mean - about the shadows - but when I look at the painting as a whole and do not focus on those darker shadows, the composition and colours of the "whole" READ VERY WELL (love that expression, thank you Adam.) I see how you prefer your more subtle shadows in the picture below - but it is still a VERY successful painting AND you learned a lot in the process :) (And quite frankly, I have to go through this kind of PAIN every time I draw or paint something, so its nice to know you experience it too - once in a while!!!)
I think it's looking great! Would never have thought a bunch of broken eggshells could be so interesting... or so colorful! Nice composition too.
You are both very kind - I've been fiddling with it half the day and it's not getting better - in the ever frank words of BFG..."not your best effort"! Tomorrow I will put up the last gasp before moving on - to something loose and free!
I agree with evrything gillian said...when looking at the whole painting, it is really beautiful and those dark shadows actually add atmosphere!
You're SO good!
Ronell
Would that my stuff-ups were this good! Or even my non stuff-ups. I love the clean hard brittle edges, and the fact that it is a WHITE painting, without much white in sight. We're in beautiful England where everything is soft and lush and GREEN. Don't you think painting greens is even more challenging than whites? Wonderful in nature, boring on the page?Just had divine dinner at the "Beetle and Wedge", right on the Thames at Moulsford.Still light after 9pm.
I agree with Gillian too--I do the same thing:only seeing what I don't like. It's kind of funny how our experiences with our "in progress" paintings have run parallel: I muffed it up too! But it's OK: I will do it again, without the "mistakes" next time (I hope!).
When you feel frustrated with a painting,as you seem to in your comment, it is best to move on, imho. You can always come back to it later when you're feeling more kindly toward it ... or not!
I love it! I think it's soft and lovely. We are our own worst critics, I think. I was admiring it and thinking how delicate it was and then read your notes. See--I'd have liked it anyway!
I think it looks very nice. There's only so much color and texture drama you can get with eggshells on a metal plate! This painting shows how wide your range is as a painter.
Post a Comment