Click Here to BidThis is the first one I've done where afterwards, when I look at it, it seems VERY still to me. I can't really explain why, but I would be curious to hear if anyone else has the same feeling. It's like all the players are frozen, mesmerized by what they see through the turquoise bottle.
On another note, I posted this week's Daily Paintworks challenge today! It's the One Color Per Stroke Challenge, and as of this minute we already have 9 entries. I think it's so cool to see everyone participating and having fun with this. Below is my example painting. I continue to learn a lot from this exercise!
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27 comments:
I think you are a magician! This one is amazing.
hi carol, i like your paintings a lot, you are an inspiration!
In my opinion the painting looks still because of the dominant placement of the blue bottle, it doesnt interact whit the other, it takes the leading roll and the others are just waiting for what "it" has to say :)
I think they are all waiting to see if Fork is going to jump off the table.
I think the small bottle is hiding behind everything else, they are protecting her. She is afraid because somebody is coming to get her...maybe she is a salt shaker ;)
It does seem very "quiet." I think your background is less active than usual.
OK. Here are my thoughts on the "stillness", which I also see (and, BTW, don't find unappealing). Each shape is so distinct, in both color and edges. There's not as much "jumping around" with color and brushwork as you usually do. It's more stark.
It was fun to stare at this and ask myself "why"? The more we know about "why" the better we can employ what we know to achieve the effects we desire.
I plan to "paint the challenge" today....
You usually seem to employ many different angles and shapes within a painting, especially round ones, that imply movement. The lines here are more straight and perpendicular, more static, perhaps? I scrolled down through your paintings, and "The Crew" is the only recent one similar to this, yet its straight lines were broken up by the flower. KP
Reminds me of a Backlit Landscape Composition. Contrasting Huge Abstract shape combined from the positive objects in the middleground against the Large light abstract shape from the background. Also, Contrasting the smaller flat darker shape of the tablecloth in the foreground. Heaviness of the dark values and Solid focal point! It's the strong contrasting dark and light shapes of color on the end of the fork that zoom my eye in. Then my eyes follow the dark values that create a pathway around the composition. Thanks for reminding me to pay attention to the "design" behind great paintings!!
Hi Carol,
That background looks a little cold to me. If that was warmed up it would change the painting just a little. The work of course is excellent.
Beautiful painting!! I think the reason that this painting is so still is for two reasons. The first is that you have set up a triangle composition. In fact, multiple triangles within the paintings. All lead to the darker blue bottle in the back. And just incase we don't get it, the fork points us there too. Triangle compositions are very traditional (think Da Vinci's "Last Supper") and very stable (think a 3-legged chair) and very beautiful. The second reason is that the darker blue bottle is both small and darker so the eye has a chance to rest there before moving on around the rest of the painting. Blue is a very restful color as well adding to the calm. Imagine what it might be like if the colors were reversed....blue on the sides and orange in the center and back. Not as pleasing. Thank you so much for sharing everyday. I learn so much from you!!!
Hi Carol: The brushwork on the left/middle side of the painting is beautiful. The turquoise bottle is perfect. The right side of the painting seems more cramped and the brushwork less free. Personally, I think it would have worked better without the fork or the orange shape on the right so the little bottle could do his cobalt thing better.
Stillness? Any vibration or deep breath for that matter will have the fork plunging toward the floor. Let's hope that the cat is not passing by.
My eye went straight to the fork - with that tought in mind.....
Yvonne Wagner.
Everyone has left you some great comments on your "still" still life, so guess I'll throw in my 2 cents (that may be all they're worth--ha!). Typically, in your paintings, you have a broader range of values and more color bouncing from one object to another (which is what I LOVE about your work), and this particular painting doesn't have quite as much of that. My painting teacher uses an analogy to describe the value scale--he says it's like a piano keyboard. You have really high notes, really low notes, and all the ones in-between. This painting, if it were a song, would not have as many high notes and low notes. It's still beautiful--it just doesn't have that zing that takes my breath away. I keep wanting that orange slice to glow, reflect onto the cloth, and take me into the bottle, then throw some bottle green on the side of the orange-half making my eye transition from one thing to another. My eyes tend to want to stay in the narrow green bottle/fork/blue bottle triangle where the contrasts and the rich reflected colors are. (OK, there are my 2-cent comments!) Thanks for sharing your work with us--you're such an inspiration!
You know how I love those bowls!!! You "may" have inspired me to try one of mine again- maybe even for the challenge!
I do agree that it looks very "still". I think it is due to the wonderful straight lines running horizontally and vertically creating a number of forty five degree angles.
The curves in this painting are in the minority so the dominant lines take over and cause a very firmly planted look to most of the compositional elements!
Hey, that almost sounds like I know what I'm talking about! Great Painting, Carol!
Hi Carol, first off I love your work!! I think this is a quiet painting which really appeals to me, the brushwork isn't as lively but still beautiful colours.
So, so pleasing... Crisp and stellar Carol!
So, so pleasing... Crisp and stellar Carol!
Love the look of the objects through the bottle. It would be neat to do a view with a colored bottle close up, and some things lined up behind it, distorted thru the glass, and peeking out the edges.
I love looking at your works, they always give me ideas! Unfortunately the portraits lately are leaving me no time for still life...
I think this one is "still" because of the primarily vertical and horizontal lines, and the blues are calm colors. the oranges are bright and have angles, but they are secondary in the composition and take their cue from the bottles and fork.
Carol I don't know that I can add to all of the insightful comments. Your work is just beautiful!
I have an Artful Offering and Interview on my site!
Xoxo
Karena
Art by Karena
For me, a few things evoke the feeling of stillness:
- The mostly rectangular shapes of the objects and composition evoke rest, similar to a Mondrian abstract painting.
- Blue is a restful colour
- and to me it looks like a clinical scene, like something in a hospital on stainless steel. I mean this in a good way—it has simplicity and clarity: low noise, cool light.
Thanks for drawing our attention to this!
Hi Carol,
I like Monica's comment. Also, I think that you are right about your still life but there is something quietly beautiful about it. I love it!
cup pink is really pretty, she reminds me of my childhood when I spent my holidays with my grandparents
Hmmm, I'm not an artist, but my take on this is that the stillness comes from depth perception. The fork is "coming at me" a bit in terms of closeness, because it's off the table and it's blurred slightly.
When I take my focus off the end of the fork and return it to the painting, it naturally goes towards the oranges and the blue bottle. When I gently rest my eyes in the middle, to take in both the oranges and the bottle, it seems as if movement has been "frozen."
That's my clumsy explanation!
Always in awe of your talent.... :-)
Love that bottle! Feels like I can go inside it and look out through the colored walls. The space inside it is so real, so tangible. This one is my favorite.
that fork really 'pops' out in true 3d-effect :)
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