Palm Trio, 10 x 8, oil on panel, L. Daniel © 2020
This grouping of trees was the subject of one of my class demos several years ago. It's on the beautiful grounds of Laguna Gloria (a place I have missed in this crazy spring.) There is always something that catches my eye, and on this particular morning it was the light on these three trees! But... well, see below...
BEFORE
AFTER
CHANGES:
Problem 1 - All three palm trees seemed to be growing out of the exact, SAME spot.
Fix 1 - Separated the bases of the trees allowing each to be firmly grounded.
Problem 2 - The understory of the trees looked like boulders piled up.
Fix 2 - Darkened and cooled the understory allowing it to recede into the distance.
Giving the trees each a space to live in and correcting the values in the background grouping relieved a huge tension that plagued this painting.
OBSERVATIONS:
It's not unusual to become a bit intoxicated with one element of a painting and completely miss something major (like those tree bases). Focus on one thing preoccupies our mind and attention, and we completely forget the other stuff. The more we paint (or do anything) the better we get at bringing all the elements together. It takes paying attention and practice!
One friend suggested that maybe I am too hard on myself in these Fix-its. I want to share my answer, because it explains why this whole process helps me...
My ultimate goal is to learn, and to catch these things the first time around. Revisiting with an objective mind helps me discover problem "trends" in my work. Forcing myself to make the changes is like a science experiment... I start with a hypotheses and a prediction, and the end result proves my hypotheses right or wrong.
Thank you, CP!
Click Here to see Fix it Friday #13
3 comments:
The changes are subtle but make a big difference. I like your explanation.
I so look forward to fix it Fridays. Not only do I learn what you're taking about, but it also motivates me to look at my work in a more critique kind of way. Not critical, but critiquing it. Thanks so much.
Thank you, Penny and Sharon! I so love hearing that these fixes are stimulating thought and self critique! It's a good practice, and NOT criticizing (as you say, Sharon)... just seeking growth! XO
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