| A Safe Spot © Marian Fortunati 12" x 16" Oil On RayMar Linen |
You may remember the painting on this post from several posts back. (At least an earlier version was posted.) Perhaps you’ve even noted that I haven’t posted anything in over a week… a bit unusual for me as I enjoy blogging AND painting. Actually I’ve been pondering.
I’ve been out plein air painting both with my friend, Sharon, and by myself three times since my last post. I’ve also painted at home on a “large-for-me” piece, a “big-for-me” piece and a little study related to my last post.
Nothing Finished
All of this has resulted in NOTHING FINISHED. So actually I have been painting… I’m just not finishing anything – at least to my satisfaction. This has gotten me to thinking about how much of the painting process is often the time one spends painting “in one’s head”.
Are We Alike?
How many of you spend lots time thinking about WHAT you’re going to paint – or even dreaming about a scene the play of light or the plane on a face? Then, once you’ve started a painting… how much time do you spend just staring at it – not lifting the brush… just staring? I think that as I’ve progressed along on this art journey of mine, I’m learning to spend more and more time thinking about a painting than I once did.
Are the values right? Have I planned the composition so that the viewer is attracted to the painting? Once attracted, are there color or textural elements to entertain and delight? Have I conveyed the intended mood or feeling? Is there a delightful hidden element somewhere to make the viewer smile? These are just some of the considerations to ponder.
Revisiting The Painting Posted On This Blog
I actually had thought I was finished with “A Safe Spot”. But since I had it set up where I could view it frequently, an element with one of the branches began to bother me and I realized it was distracting and unnecessary. So I decided to "revisit it" and I painted the elements I didn't like out. Now I like the painting better. I’m submitting it to be juried for a show tomorrow. Let’s hope the juror likes it too -- one never knows.
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