Wednesday, October 03, 2007

"Just a Piece" --- SOLD



This one was tough, but I'm happy with how it turned out. I especially like (and this may sound silly) the delicate line on the plate. Usually I put that kind of thing down first and put the white around it. This time I put the plate color down and got it completely the way I wanted it. Then I came back with the line and sort of let it blend a little with the white. I find that letting things blend a little makes it look more realistic. Errr, in some places anyway. I had a friend tell me recently that she's frustrated with painting and thinks maybe she should take some classes on art because she's sure there's some secret she's missing. I thought the same thing for a long time. I finally realized that there are tons of little secrets, but none of them work all the time. And the only way to figure them out is to PAINT PAINT PAINT.

By the way, today is my 7th wedding anniversary. I know I complain about my husband here sometimes, but I couldn't have gotten luckier in snagging a mate. I love you sweetheart.

7 comments:

Kelley Carey MacDonald said...

Carol, this is a wonderful painting! I love the line, too, but I love the light on the skin of the apple. And I think your solutions to the 'painting tricks' is right on spot - PAINT, PAINT, PAINT... the Plein Air Painters Of America say "Paint acres of canvas" to get where you want! Happy Anniversary... and many, many more ;)

Jeff Mahorney said...

I second that. Brush Mileage (miles of canvas) is the only thing that has made a difference for me.
Happy Anniversary!

Sarah Fox said...

Wow, this is a really beautiful one. I love the "weight" of that apple, very very 3-dimensional. And the color combo is great. Happy Anniversary :)

Unknown said...

Happy Anniversary! And congratulations on a truly lovely painting. You are so right, I'm convinced that the "secret" of painting is simply to paint. I admire your confidence, that you can stand up in front of a crowd of students and put a beautiful painting together right before our eyes. I am working on painting more to build both my skill and my confidence. Your workshop really opened my eyes - I can't thank you enough.

Making A Mark said...

Oh - I like those phrases 'paint acres of canvas' and 'brush mileage' - they're great. As are the colours in this painting. That red/orange is singing............

Tracy Wall said...

Love this one!! The line on the plate I think helps to unify it all. Love the curves; love the color combos; love the values!

Since mid summer I've been trying to push those brush miles. Fell off the wagon for a bit recently (life gets in the way), but now it's back on! It's funny how the more I paint, the better I feel -- physically, mentally, emotionally. acres.

Roxanne Steed said...

AMEN sister!! regarding the "secrets" in class. They will only take you so far, then it's simply mileage; long, persistent mileage! Congrats on the anniversary! Cheers & blessings to you both!, Roxanne