Lily Pads At Spruce River
24 x 36"
oil on canvas
© Nicki Ault, 2010
sold
© Nicki Ault, 2010
sold
Here is one of the large paintings I have done this fall at the studio. I don't think the colour here is entirely accurate, I'll have to check when I go back to the studio. I'm pretty sure the orange/rust colours at the top are not that obvious in reality. Anyway, it's a bit of a different composition, which I always like. There were way more lily pads and grasses flowing in the reference photo, but it was too much, so I did some big-time editing. These lily pads were different than most I've seen. They were very pointy as opposed to the round floppy ones you think frogs might sit on.
My camera is fixed, but I am having a difficult time getting decent photos of these larger pieces. The walnut alkyd I have been using as a medium dries to a bit of a gloss finish, so the glare is really bad when taking a photo (even without a flash). Any tips?
10 comments:
When I saw the small image of this painting on the Blogger: Dashboard I knew it was yours right away and I did a little fist pump with an enthusiastic "YES!" erupting from my mouth. Great one, Nicki!
Sometimes when the glare is a little much for me I'll shoot the painting at a bit of an angle and then correct the angle in Photoshop. As long as the angle is not too extreme you can usually get a great representation of the image with minimal distortion. In fact, I would challenge anyone to look at my shots and find the distortions...
Hope that helped.
-Don
This is just gorgeous Nicki!
Love this, Nicki! The blues are just brilliant.
Don! Thank you so much Now you are the one that has put a smile on my face. And trust me, with the week I have had, that is exactly what I needed! Thank you.
Okay, is it shameful to admit I don't have Photoshop? I know loads of artists do, but I just have the editing program that came with my Epson computer. It generally does the job for the basics, but these trickier situations are too much for it.
Take care,
Nicki
Hi Tammy. Thanks! So good to hear from you. I hope you are well.
Nicki
Thanks Janie. The variations between the blues show even more in person.
Nicki
WOW!!! Nicki, I think this might be one of my all-time favourites! I totally love it! The colours are amazing and the water seems so lively and ... well ... watery!!!! Honest, this is so terrific!
Can't wait to see it in person!
XO JJ
Nicki you are a true lover of nature, I always feel it in your paintings! They have an expressive power of movement, line, shape - depth and richness of color that always draw me in!
Marcia
hi Nicki, this is a lovely piece: full of energy and depth....but i know what you mean about photographing art work: it can be problematic. the best investment i made was a cheap full size tripod for my camera and using the timer to take the photos. you can have lower light and take the photo without flash and still have a clear unblurred photo closer to the original colours. i also move the painting to different positions in the room for the photographing and when i have all the photos up on my computer screen i can chose the one that is the most faithful representation of what i have painted. hope this helps.
Hey JJ,
Glad to hear that! I was nervous to post this one, but I don't know why. The composition is a bit unusual, but that is my way. Let's get together ASAP!
XO Nicki
Hi Marcia,
Thank you for stopping by. I'm honoured! I appreciate that you are able to tell I love nature... and I can't seem to take my focus away from the visual treasures I find in Northern Saskatchewan.
Take care,
Nicki
Hi Rahina,
Thank you for sharing your reaction to this piece. And thank you for your tips. I'm going to fiddle with it a bit more this week. I'm sure your ideas will help.
Nicki
Hi NIcki,
This is gorgeous, and so you. I remember seeing your water paintings for the first time and being completely mesmerized, as I am now. Nicki you are a star. So incredibly good.
XOBarbara
Hi Barbara,
Thank you so much. I do love painting watery reflections- it's one of my favorite things.
Hugs,
Nicki
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