La Maison Abel

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Comment by Jon Main on June 25, 2016 at 23:16

Hi, Fay - I'm glad - that's good!!! I was thinking we should maybe compile a checklist - I'm not so keen on them and they need to be fairly short... hmmmm

Comment by Fay Thomson on June 25, 2016 at 18:28

Such a great critique Michael.  Jon your painting has evoked a lot of observance for which I thank you.

Comment by Jon Main on June 25, 2016 at 17:46

OK - I'm working on it - ta, Michael!

Comment by Michael J. Severin on June 25, 2016 at 11:01

Hi Jon. The distant landscape is fine!! .. I love that. You just need to make that second tree back there .. well ..back there more. :) If you are going to leave that structure on the left in, may I suggest that you deemphasize it a little.  Give it more soft edges, grayer color, lighter value,  and make it a little smaller ....  make it more of an after thought... do take out that arch! ..  maybe you can whittle away the right edge of that structure and thus open up the background even more ...  ? .. that sounds exciting!!!

Comment by Jon Main on June 25, 2016 at 4:01

I can't say how much I appreciate you taking that much effort, Michael - guess it shows you/we truly just love to paint! Thanks a lot.

Yep, I was asked to do this (house portraits is a classic, aint'it just!? - usually a bummer - this is my second in two years - but I got inti it as I forced myself to do it!)

The photo is too saturated - the painting is sopfter/subtler and looks neater - and I did it small because giving pleasure to the folks was the prime consideration (they haven't seen it yet)

I was worried about the building on the left (so you confirm that),

but I thought the distant landscape was a nice touch/gave depth (so I was wrong on that one) - so it's so important to hear what you/other think about identiifed problems/decisions.

For the slate roof I was really scratching my head - unsure (also forgot photos always darken the darks too much!) - so your comment on that is super helpful.

Funnuily enough, I was just about to do a much larger version (now it's started to interest me!) so I'll see if I can advance any... Cheers!!!

Comment by Michael J. Severin on June 25, 2016 at 3:32

Hi Jon.  I love the story (poetry) you are telling here .. quite a few interesting marks ..... the texture on the wall of the house, the nice shape of the tree, and the nice broken up space you did with the bushes overlapping the wall and windows.  I especially like the "feel" of the area around the stone pillar and that beautiful reflected light on its shadow side.  Drawing looks good.  Edges:  well ... some work needed .. especially where the grass meets the road on the right there.  Those hard edges on the pillar are very good!!!! ... that is your focal point.  I keep going back to the pillar because you did a wonderful job on that little element ... nice, one confident stroke with rich, glowing color!  Would like to see that confident brush stroke, thick paint, and rich color in your other passages as well .....  like the road ..which is to "brushy".  Okay, Composition:  The house on the left really needs to come out ... it is a much to "heavy" an element at the edge of the picture.  The very dark value, hard edges, intense color, and super straight lines, bring the viewer there ..and only there ...  its large size totally competes with the house .. the arch is a magnet.  Unless the owner of this place insisted on an exact portrait, that building is not needed.  Also, that little round tree behind the large (very good looking shape) tree, is not needed ... if you leave it in, change the value and color temp. and give it a better shape ... make it look like it is behind the main tree.  Value:  I am beginning to feel like I am piling on ..sorry, but this next one is very important ...  Value:  Jon, The roof of your house is in sunlight, but it is just as dark a value as any of your shadow shapes!..actually darker then some of your shadow shapes! .. that cannot be.  Everything in the light is lighter then everything in the shadow.  Jon, if you think about painting the light, instead of painting the ... thing .... you will get a better handle on this problem .... I see it happening in some of your other paintings also.  The roof .. although a very dark local color, is being hit by full direct warm sunlight .. you need to paint that light.  The roof needs to be warmer ... look to the warm side of the color wheel .. and its value raised higher then any of your shadow shapes.  Thanks Jon, sorry if I piled on, but I thought this was important stuff for everyone.  This is the kind of stuff I am teaching in my art class .. so kind of reinforcing it on me too.  :)