Monday, April 14, 2014

Pushing the Pattern

My last post showed this painting, still unfinished as we left Kanuga.  I'm pretty sure if I had been there even one more day, Robbie Laird would have found time to reinforce a hint that I think I inferred earlier in the week - about remembering subtlety when indulging in my patterns.   Certainly a worthy goal, and one I often, but not always, should keep in mind.

In this case,  having brought the painting home and lived with it a while, it became clear to  me that  this one (like so many of mine) was about the pattern more than the flowers.  So I went with that. I've modified and pumped up and added pattern to the point where I hope it's obvious that the imbalance is intentional.

I am extremely pleased to have, from this year's workshop,  a COMPLETED PAINTING that's not a throwaway.  How rare is that?  And there are still those other starts, two of which show good possibility, plus a problem-child painting which will keep me challenged for quite a while as I try to solve the problems I created for myself as I started it.  

4 comments:

  1. I am very inspired by your beautiful paintings and I love all the patterns.

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  2. I am a big fan of your patterning too, and this painting's no exception. What really stuns me in this one though, is the subtle but strong modeling of the white flowers ... All aspects are beautifully done: the simple leaf shapes; the positive-negative pattern; the spots of orange in the vase ...

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  3. Thanks to you both, Mary and Laura. I'm having so much fun with what I've chosen to paint recently. My favorite discovery is painting White Flowers! Someone should've told me long ago about the joy of color to be discovered in a white flower. Did all the rest of you know this already?

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  4. Hope you enjoyed the Kanuga experience. Yep, I did know that white isn't really white in a flower. As a matter of fact, that was our last class assignment for my spring session class - they have homework for the summer - to complete the painting and bring it back in the fall. I'll be posting some of that soon. Of course, love the pattern and design!

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