Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Daily Painting Practice- Valentine Leftovers

This is my attempt at "Quick do a Daily practice piece then get back to work on the larger studio pieces". I am reusing a panel that had a cloud study on it.
I liked it here at this stage. The painting was loose and it had an Oriental feel to it. There was even a feeling of space that made this little 5"x7" seem larger than it was...
Valentine Leftovers
5"x7"
oil on masonite

...That all disappeared by the end. I am not pleased. I think the red roses were too heavy and the blue too light, and the atmosphere evaporated. I am posting this to show that not every daily painting practice piece ends up being a keeper. These are the paintings I learn the most from though. Studying your own mistakes helps you identify what makes a painting work and what makes a painting weak. There is nothing more powerful than the knowledge that you can do better next time.

1 comment:

Ed Terpening said...

It's tough posting a painting you're not happy with, but you're right, there a lesson in every piece. I don't know how to advise fixing it, other than leaving it a few days and coming back. That's the curse of the "Painting a Day" movement--you kind of give up the opportunity to let a painting sit on a shelf in your studio a few days until the solution appears.