Monday 31 December 2012

A New Year....same painting! Calla lilies

Last post of the year! sorry still not posted my ink tutorial! It's still in draft form and will follow shortly....promise! Have been busy finishing off a few pieces and also have a new commission... painting seahorses...a very nice job!
Here's my most recent finished painting of a Calla, with a similar reverse image painting beneath it...... I couldn't decide whether it should lean left or right as a composition so trying both. I get very hung up on left and right preferences for images, probably because I'm left handed, and, ever since an RHS judge made a big deal about it! I figured there has to be more to it this left right thing than the obvious lighting issues. I  always tend to lean compositions in the the same direction and think people maybe have a preference for what 'looks comfortable' based on thir handedness? well that's my theory... so I've started painting works a few times over angling the subject in different directions to see what looks best..... maybe I should get out more!  The second image is still a work in progress, it's also on different paper too...so there are  probably 101 reasons to repaint the same work over and over and still never be satisfied. Look at poor old Giorgio Morandi, not that I compare myself in any way of course! but that guy spent a lifetime painting the same objects over in slightly different arrangements!

Reverse composition of same painting ( bottom image unfinished) but which one looks right?


 Lots up ahead at this time of year, hope to get my head into some serious work in the New Year without any dramas to interrupt! Aiming to submit something for Society of Botanical Artists annual show, which is titled, The Language of Flowers, at Westminster  Halls 12-21 April. Seems fitting to do something revisiting the reproductive mechanisms in flowers for that one.... yes more repetition.... but still undecided. I did a series of works on reproductive mechanisms before for RHS inspired by Arthur Harry Church.
Reproductive mechanism in Digitalis purpurea  ( on vellum) exhibited at 2006 RHS exhibition, NEC Birmingham

  Will also be exhibiting again with the RHS at Malvern Spring Gardening Show  May 9-12.  Also focusing on reproductive mechanisms for this one, on vellum this time.

....better get on with it... more next year!


   

4 comments:

  1. Beautiful paintings and an interesting thought about the directions of paintings, I have a few that I may reverse!
    I actually like them both as the composition is so well constructed that it looks great both ways.
    Have a great new year Dianne xxxxx

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  2. Your work is always a treat Dianne and both of the compositions are beautiful. The simplicty of the lilies really work here and your foxglove detail is stunning. here's to 2013. xx

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  3. So beautiful drawing and you thinking is so nice. Thank you for everything.

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  4. Ohhhh I missed this blog....I think both ways work and it really is a lovely painting :) x

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