Coyote Point, 082115

8x10, oil on canvas board

7 members like this

View Full Size

Tags:

Add a Comment

Comment by Laura Xu on August 25, 2015 at 4:15: Thank you both Michael, Charles very much for the discussion!

Comment by Michael J. Severin on August 24, 2015 at 12:02: Okay, my friend ..I hear you. :)))

Comment by Charles Post on August 24, 2015 at 11:47: I don't disagee with what you are saying and suggested the same to Laura in the past. Doing notans or comparable studies are important and extremely helpful in working out issues. However, my comment was "focus on the details". I did not mean to suggest "need for detail". I was saying attention to detail like edges, spacing, values are important. All that said, when I first viewed her painting, two things caught my eye -- effective use of color and value and the movement I described; the dark area did not come into focus because the rocks drew me away from the trees. Only when I specifically focused on the trees did the issues I described come into focus. As for dividing the canvas, the area to the left of the trees to the right edge and from bottom to top forms a near square with the tree area making the layout close to what is called the Armature of the Rectangle.

Comment by Charles Post on August 24, 2015 at 11:19: I recommend two books that I have been studying, both written by Juliette Aristides -- Lessons in Classical Drawing and Classical Painting Atelier. Even for those of us who painting with a looser style, the concepts she describes are invaluable in helping the artist to work with purpose and better understanding. I am sure others can recommend other value books but hers are great. And speaking of a viewer's perspective, a friend viewing one of my abstract painting, explained to me the meaning of the painting as evoked in his mind. It was nothing close to what I had in mind when I painted it. Have had a better appreciation for that painting ever since...go figure.

Comment by Michael J. Severin on August 24, 2015 at 11:19: Charles, I do see your point ..but the visual music I am referring to is about strong notan and a good division of space. As I said, Laura has fantastic tonal harmonies ...an "S" curve does not necessarily invoke a strong composition ..coupled with strong notan and good division of space ..then we have something happening. Laura's painting could have much better space division ..with her strong notan and composition structure ..the "S" ..this painting would fantastic. I disagree about your comment regarding a need for details as the "visual music" ...visual music is not details. In this case, Laura's focal point is the contrasting point where the dark trees and middle tone meet ..no need for details ...contrast does the job. This is a well designed piece of work, great tonal harmony, good movement, great notan ....but better space division would have been the icing on the cake.

Comment by Laura Xu on August 24, 2015 at 11:00: Hi Charles, many thanks for your such detailed comment! I didn't even think about it by myself. Appreciate it.

Comment by Charles Post on August 24, 2015 at 10:08: Simply put, WOW. I really appreciate an artist who can present a subject in the fewest of terms. Your development as a landscape painter is remarkable; there is no substitute for painting, painting and more painting. You have created energy in the "S" shaped movement from lower left along the shore line to the dark trees and rocks, turning the viewer left then up and back to the right through the clouds. There are a few hard edges in the trees that could be softer and a few shapes in the trees that could be tweaked, mainly the gap between the right side of the left-most tree and the tree to its right, but those are is minor. However, if your intent was to make that area the "visual music" then you have to focus on the details. By contrast, I viewed the painting as an expression of subtle hues and subtle movement, so to me the trees served as a 'stop' keeping the viewer moving through the painting and turning the viewer in a S movement. Guess it is all in the eye of the viewer.

Comment by Laura Xu on August 24, 2015 at 7:42: Michael, Thank you very much for your valuable comment! I really agree with you regarding the composition. I do feel this is lack of interesting in focal point. I just didn't thinking enough when I was on the site. I really need to build up more creative ability. Thank you again Michael!

Comment by Michael J. Severin on August 24, 2015 at 4:42: Laura, very nice use of tonal values to create mood. For your information, this is called a "group mass" composition. Laura, when you are out doing plein air, do some thumbnail notan sketches. Then you can see if you want more of the dark mass and less water, or the other way around. In this painting, that dark mass ..IS ....your "visual music". ....it is your story ..it is your painting. So why relegate it to that small obscure space? If you can, try to put an important element in your painting ..on the golden mean, or the 1/3 line ...the most important element...and the show ....is squished way over there to the right. You would have been aware of this if you did some quick notan sketches. Laura, your concept, Tonal values, and color are all great ...but the composition could have been better.