Sweatshop 24

O/C 12x12 This was the most difficult painting I have ever attempted. Learned just how much I still need to learn...

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Comment by Betsy Jenkins on August 26, 2013 at 7:50: Thanks, Pauline for your comments on all my paintings. I hope to redo the foreground rocks into something more organic looking on this one tomorrow, and maybe repost. They are bugging me, and they seem to be bugging a lot of others here, too.

Comment by Pauline Le Merle on August 26, 2013 at 7:32: Lovely painting with a fantastic sky

Comment by Michael J. Severin on August 22, 2013 at 23:32: Great Betsy, it looks like you have a good handle on the situation ..looking forward to seeing great shapes in your future paintings!!!

Comment by Betsy Jenkins on August 22, 2013 at 23:12: Hi, Michael! Thanks for taking the time to give me feedback. You know just how much that means to me! I know those rocks have problems (i.e., they suck!) You should see what the previous 4 iterations looked like. I had such a hard time painting them AND trying to keep them in perspective AND trying to make them look like rocks AND trying to keep the paint colors close to right ! At one point I almost entitled the painting " The MUD Cliffs of Dover..." At another point, they looked like carrot sticks lined up in a row. At another, they looked like cubes of beef for stew! Right now they look a little like building stones.. like they were chiseled out by human hand and to fit and be placed together. I know, I know! I would like to have another go at them, but I have to go back to work today and can't get them done by the deadline.

As an aside, in NON-ARTIST critiques, I was told that the only thing wrong with it was that "such a lovely beach was empty of naked women." ;-)

Comment by Michael J. Severin on August 22, 2013 at 15:34: You know Betsy, this is a good painting!! ..You should feel very good!!! I especially like the way you handled your values on the receding cliffs ..very well done! Your lightest light and darkest dark are around the focal point area ..nothing wrong with that!! You have a lot of movement in the ocean. Everything looks real strong ..except your foreground ...and that is what is giving you fits. Simplify the foreground, create less busyness in the rocks, create a more interesting shape, break up your repetitive shapes in the rocks, and be bold with your brushstrokes in this area. This area is either going to be 3/4 dark or 3/4 light and I would make it 3/4 dark. Note that it is only the foreground that I see that needs to be strengthened.

Comment by Betsy Jenkins on August 22, 2013 at 13:50: Hi, Ningning!

Thanks for taking the time to write about my painting. I did take a look at that irregular coastline. Great suggestion! I didn't see that at first,and I was having so many troubles with this thing, I just painted it like it is. I think I was thinking about rhythm--the repetition of shapes. But I had so many thoughts running through my head with this, I don't even remember what I thought at this point!

I am empathetic like you. I vote a lot, too. I want everyone to get a lift. They all work SO hard! I guess the "competition" is not really about winning, but rather just a vehicle to propel each of us to do better. It also helps to look at other people's work to see how they might have solved a problem you were having.

So let's make the "NO PAIN, NO GAIN" saying our mantra! I think I will make a sign that says that and glue it to the top of my easel to remind me the next time I am suffering from a severe case of Tourret's syndrome induced by a bad time with the paint! ;-)

Comment by Ningning Li on August 22, 2013 at 13:37: Betsy, I enjoy this paining very much. The overall value and colour contrast are excellent. The water movement and two rocks in the water are very good textured. The texture of the rocks are nice too. If I were you I would make the background shoreline irregular. Ngaire painted it very interesting. You may like to go to see it as a reference. Do you know what amazed me most? the sky, I love the way you painted the sky. Very creative and convencing. Great Job!!!

Betsy, your comment make me laughing again. Every time, When Richard blew the whistle and said that time for voting, I will feel painful. As you mentioned that I am empathetic, quite often I vote a lot. Every one tried his or her best and has something special, interesting and beautiful. I will join you to say I FEEL YOUR PAIN... and NO PAIN NO GAIN.

Comment by Laura Xu on August 22, 2013 at 10:57: lovely painting story made a lovely painting of course. Like Silvana said the sky is great!

Comment by Betsy Jenkins on August 22, 2013 at 10:52: Thanks Silvana and Ngaire. I like to write things that will amuse us artists and bring a smile to our lips. Pursuing art is one of the most difficult things we can attempt, and the herculean efforts we make to learn and master it are often underappreciated by non artists. I just want everyone who struggles along with me to know..I FEEL YOUR PAIN. ;-)

Comment by Ngaire Lincoln on August 22, 2013 at 10:11: Nice light in your painting Betsy. Your description of your journey creating this is delightful! Well done