Sometimes It Just Doesn't Work

I was working on the painting of the canal that I posted earlier, but despite help from my teacher, it is one of my fails.

There are a lot of things that worked for it: the composition led the eye pleasantly, the colors provided  movement and contrast, and there were a lot of areas of complementary color. I also think the brushwork to the right of the paining was pretty good. But there was a lot that just didn't work for me. I could have kept working it, but I gave myself permission to give up. Maybe one day I will go back and start over with looser brushwork.

I have to admit it was fun to colorize Cambridge, UK! There was not a day of good sunshine when I visited, so if I want color, I have to invent it.

Impressionism...Color

When asked what kind of art I like, I usually say impressionist, or as time goes on realistic abstract. Both to me mean that the art will be something recognizable, but not realistic. Painting, to me, is an opportunity to edit the colors to create the feeling of the place because I often find that photographs are much duller than the feelings of happiness or beauty that I feel at the time.

That works sometimes, but sometimes that it difficult to do. I sometimes have trouble seeing the possibilities, so I decided to use Photoshop to colorize the photo I'm working from and SEE the underlying colors.

This photo was taken in Cambridge, UK, so you know that the colors were nothing like this! But I've found it helps me see the undertones. It also helps me see the color of the light.