Saturday 31 March 2012

March Challenge

The latest in our monthly challenges, that is myself and fellow painter Peter Ward who can be found at www.watercolourfanatic.blogspot.com

Peter set this piece and I have to say that I found this a real challenge as it required working at a few things that I don't enjoy a great deal. The main one is the huge number of bare twigs that take up so much of picture area. Rigger to the ready. Having said that I'm afraid I didn't exhibit the same degree of commitment to this project that I normally expect of myself, foregoing the usual preliminaries of sketches and paint experiments. In particular this shows itself in the foreground where a degree of sloppiness detracts from some of the passages that aren't too embarrassing.

As you may have detected I'm less that happy with my performance here but it is now recorded here to remind me of the swings that take place in painting form.

March Challenge - Photograph

March Challenge - watercolour on Not paper 18" x 12"

6 comments:

Peter Ward said...

Actually Mick I quite like this. The only real comment I'd make is that it looks unfinished and could have done with a small amount of detail work perhaps just impressions of the clutter in one or two places. I like the mystery of the misty background - just a hint of it. As you say it is a tough one and I struggled. I think your only problem is that recently you haven't been painting often enough.

Ray Maclachlan Art said...

You've done a great job of simplifying the scene Mick, and I like the misty feel. Went painting today with similar scene, not good. I'd better take some simplification lessons! Sent you an email.

Unknown said...

Peter - You are too kind but your comment about it being unfinished is correct. Your suggestion about including more small stuff and clutter would in fact give it a more finished appearance and also stop the eye from running off the left of the picture.

Unknown said...

Ray - Thanks. The only way to tackle a scene like this is strip it down or you end up with an impossible task. The misty background is the one bit of this that I'm happy with. May be something to build on.

Caroline Simmill said...

a nice fresh looking watercolour Mick. This kind of scene is not easy to master there is a lot going on yet you have simplified it well.

Unknown said...

Caroline - Thanks a lot. I found this a difficult task and simplifying was the only way i could get through it. This is definitely a subject area that I need to work at.