Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Low Spots

Low Spots
8 x 8"
oil on board
© Nicki Ault, 2011 
sold

This is the third in my little series of four prairie scenes and the first of my two favorites! Did that make sense? Painting alla prima is very rewarding and I enjoyed the process very much. As I got to the third and fourth painting I had already become better at planning and as a result didn't make as much mud and didn't have to wipe off little areas so as not to mix colours. As I painted this series The Group of Seven was right at top of my mind. I studied many of their paintings a week and a half ago when I was in Toronto. What really struck me was that their studies, mostly done en plein air, were painted in such a rich, thick and sumptuous manner with globs and curls of paint very visible. So in my prairie paintings I tried to work with a well loaded brush and make purposeful marks without much backtracking.


It is so useful to be able to view and study original art. More and more I am coming to realize that even the best photography, whether shown in a book or online, can really never do justice to the real thing.    

4 comments:

-Don said...

Low Spots is definitely a high spot for me in this series. I absolutely love it.

You are quite right about photos and the real thing when it comes to art. They never do it justice. I recently had the good fortune to acquire a painting that I thought looked great on the web and was totally thrilled with how much better it looks in person. It makes a beautiful addition to my collection.

-Don

Judy Wood said...

This one is lovely. "Making mud" doesn't seem inappropriate, given the subject matter! :-) But of course it has to be "controlled" mud.

Barbara Muir said...

Love, love, love this painting, the colour, the freshness of it. And I love the shot of you in front of the AGO sign. Wow I wish I'd been there with you, and I also strongly wish you head back on out here!

XOBarbara

Nicki said...

Hi Don,

Yay! I'm glad you like it too! I am so pleased with how it turned out.

Funny when I was typing the comment about original art, I had a feeling you would be able to relate!

Nicki


Hi Judy,

Thank you! So nice to receive a message from you! And you are right, mud would fit right into the context!

Nicki



Hi Barbara,

I'm glad you love this one! I'll post the fourth one very soon and I will be curious to hear your reaction to it.

I will be back out your way again and maybe we can meet at the AGO and then wander around the art district you were telling me about... and look at your work in one of those fancy galleries!!! You'll be there some day soon I bet!


XO Nicki