Excerpts From Recent Critiques, 6/10 - 2/11
7/10 Still Life w/bowl of fruit from page 3 of 5.............
Consider the composition, how the apples, pears, and oranges in the bowl are all approx. the same size, as well as the same value. You could strengthen the visual excitement here by enhancing the lighting situation. A spotlight close to, or at a low angle to the bowl of fruit would give you an extremely different subject.
7/23 Still Life w/ vase of flowers on shelf from page 1 of 4..........
Why not try some other angles or points of view for this very engaging subject - obviously well thought out, and set up carefully. As the viewer of the painting, I would so love to see more of the gorgeous shapes and subtle color relationships here - as a painter you deserve to wallow in and be inspired by all that beauty! I wonder how different this painting would have felt if you had been able to fully see and respond to the forms in the still life. For the next painting, try placing the vase of flowers below eye level, and notice the differences in the form and color.
8/21 Still Life w/ blue flowers in vase from pg. 1 of 4............
The drawing here is strong and direct. The powerful blueness of the flower forms would be stronger and more meaningful in the painting if the surrounding color choices were somewhat neutral. For example, the vase with it's bold color and pattern overwhelms, almost marginalizes, the magnificence of the flower forms. Decide what the "heavy hitter" form is in a painting, and paint the rest of the painting to support it.
stay tuned - more to be posted soon....................!