For two Sundays in a row, I've painted outdoors. I am very excited about the warm weather and the work that will come from the next few months of Sundays. It's been a long time since I've painted outside. I've never done it consistently over an extended period of time, so this is new-ish. I even got a sunburn today! (Next week,I'll wear sunblock.)The bottom image is week one's product. The top image is week two's. I spent more time on week two's piece. I think there was significant improvement from last week's work to today's work. That is exciting. Plus, I'm transfixed by this fountain!
Your choice of subject in this painting reminds me of Boucher and Watteau. Are you doing a neo-Rococo thing?
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This is a test for Mr.Fields
ReplyDeleteHi Mark,
ReplyDeleteIt's just that the fountain is "fancy" My style is the same old thing. I will have a new plein air piece next week. Keep an eye out.
Eileen
What made you fill the fountain with water and then change it back to an empty fountain with the blocks and fish resting on it? Why not keep the water in the fountain at the bottom of it? Did you feel the fountain being empty represented something stronger?
ReplyDeleteThis piece really caught my eye at first glance. I think the changes you made from week one to week two change the overall tone of the picture. I like how you used thicker brush strokes on the trees in week two. It makes the colors blend and the fountain stand out more. I also think that the intensity and tonality of the colors change in week two. To me, in week one, it seems to be portrayed that it is a gloomier day, maybe after rain. In week two, it seems to be a sunnier day. In week one, it looks like there is a path leading to the fountain, but in week two you filled the path in with grass. I think that changed the setting of the painting. What made you decide to make this change in the painting?
ReplyDeleteAs I was looking through your works of art, this piece stood out to me the most. I really like the changes that you made from week one to week two. What made you decide to brighten the atmosphere in the painting? Also, is the difference in the hues of the trees being use to signify depth in the woods? I also like that you decided to remove the water from the fountain because it brings more focus to the detail of the fountain.
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I like the composition and brushwork in this painting most out of all of your works. What about this fountain caught your attention? Why did you decide to fill in the pathway with grass? I noticed that the painting gets brighter in the second week, what lead you to change the intensity of the hues?
ReplyDeleteAmanda A.
Awsome From owen "dog" walters
ReplyDeleteCharleen, Thanks for noticing the differences in these paintings. The first painting of the fountain does not actually have water rendered in it. As many artists do, I reused an old canvas with another painting on it and that is what you see as water in the fountain. This is a perfect example of how we finish paintings with our minds. I didn't paint any water in, but because the colors in the under-painting could pass for water and because you know that water belongs in water fountains, you put the water in the fountain with logic. BTW, these are two different paintings. The second painting is more finished, so it's more representative of the fountain. Although I had no agenda for the emptiness of this fountain, I would say that an empty fountain has a very different narrative than one full of running water. Wouldn't you?
ReplyDeleteCelia, Thanks for the comments. You are very observant. I simplified the background by taking away the side walk and toning down the trees. I did this to better feature the fountain.
ReplyDeleteLara, Thanks for your noticing that one painting was brighter than the other. The reason for that is simple; It was my first time painting outside in years and I was rusty. Both days were sunny. The depth in the woods is created by changing (in this case lightening) the value of the colors and lessening the saturation of the colors. Changing the hue of a color is not what creates depth (usually). FYI Colors have 3 characteristics: HUE (red,yellow,blue), VALUE (light to dark), and SATURATION (intensity). See Mr. Fields.
ReplyDeleteAmanda, Thanks for your comments. I am going to answer your first question and then point you to my other comments (where I've already gone on way too much) to answer your other concerns. The fountain!! This fountain is the most beautiful thing in my city. I've been thinking about painting it for maybe 2 years now. It's broken, the copper pipes have been stolen and traded for the thief's drug of choice. It lives in a park whose primary visitors are drug dealers, drug busters, and homeless folks. It's monumental. It's irreplaceable; the factory that made the mold surely does not exist anymore. I believe it's bronze (I'll get back to you on that). It's got the most awesome lime-stained, rusty patina I've ever seen. It's got history and it's romantic. Anything like that in Brecksville?
ReplyDeleteI like how you lightened up the background. What made you decide to change the water underneath the fountain into cement-looking blocks?
ReplyDeleteI’m a fan of both works, but I favor the top painting. At first glance they appear quite similar, but after taking time to appreciate them, the small changes made a world of difference. I love the water and the tree reflection in the fountain of the bottom painting. It’s very serene, an interesting contrast to the ominous background. In the top painting the added detail in the fountain makes the whole piece so much stronger. I much prefer the extra trees in the background to the wall in the back of the bottom painting. The lightening of the color on the top painting gives it a much more vivacious appeal. For me, the piece becomes much more striking and enjoyable because of these small changes.
ReplyDelete~Bridget W
Owen, Thanks for the compliment! I didn't realize that you go by "dog". I hear you are a great actor now. Good for you! Please tell your uncle hello for me.
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i think that these paintings are really cool and the changes you have made are creative and interesting. What made you change the colors of the background from cooler blues to a brown in the other?
ReplyDeleteWas this a painting taken of an actual fountain you were in front of? If not amazing portraying one, but the "if so" is more where my question comes into play. If so, I noticed that there is a difference in the background. In the top there are a lot more trees and blue sky, but in the bottom there seems to be some sort of brown figure in the back that I cannot tell what it is. There is also the path is missing from the top one. Where these paintings taken at different points, creating the different backgrounds? I also like the heightened amount of detail on the top one personally. For being an incomplete work it looks like it is already complete, it is that good.
ReplyDeleteI love how these two paintings are basically the same image but have totally different ideas to them. The top fountain had bright colors which makes it more welcoming to look at. When I see the painting it represents a fresh colors of a happy life. The bottom painting looks more old and antique. It seems to be in a much more dark setting with not much detail in the fountain. Overall, I love them both and they were very well done but one has a bright color schyme with great detail that enjoy best.
ReplyDeleteSo i was wondering what Plein Air meant and i looked it up and found out it meant painting out of doors. Did you paint this while you were outside the whole time? This painting reminds me more of a Rococo painting because of its loose brushwork and the colors you used. In the first one, the fountain sticks out more because of the trees you have behind it. Did you do that on purpose? In the second one, i notice the clouds just as much as i notice the darker fountain. The first one just looks like a nicer, sunnier morning.
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