The Learning Curve Continues

I have no artwork to post today... well, I could dig something up from days gone by, but I actually just feel like writing.

I was at the studio this afternoon and got working on the larger version of "Lit" which felt really good. I'm excited that I actually feel a bit motivated to get some work underway. The four days of plein air painting last week seemed to be just what I needed. It has turned cold again, but I'm okay with being back in the studio because I know this cold spell won't last forever and Spring truly is on the way.

Anyway, I had my four plein air paintings set out on my table at the studio and two other artists that were working in their spaces came over to say they liked what I did last week... but then an impromptu critique ensued! It started with one of them saying I needed to be careful when doing the horizon line of a river or body of water- it should be level and not on an incline because water doesn't flow like that. The painting she was referring to was "River Thawing" and I was quite confused at the time, but I think I am starting to understand what she meant. When I painted it I was looking down the river (not straight across to the other bank) and my eye saw an angle, but maybe in the painting it reads like there is a slope to the river which, of course, is not the way rivers run unless they are going over some sort of water fall. This is where things got interesting, if not a little heated! The other artist piped up and said that this angle didn't bother her, she felt it made the composition more dynamic. My head was going back and forth between them as if I was watching a tennis match! What bothered her was that the water and the grayer edge of the ice were about the same size making it look like two equal bands running across the width of the painting and as a result this section was quite boring. Humph and how about that?!! I can see that point too! How does a person miss these things when they are painting? I caught it on "Ice, Water, Snow, Frost", but missed it on this one. I actually really like "River Thawing", but maybe with these suggestions I can make it even better. I'm thinking if I drop the left side of the bank down a bit to reduce the angle of the horizon line then maybe that will help the flow of the water look more natural. After that maybe I will tweak the grayer edge of the ice so it differs from the size of the water itself. Lots to think about. I am thankful for constructive critiques... if done right, I can really learn something.

Speaking of which, I feel I have so much to learn that I am overwhelmed most days! This is possibly one of the reasons why I have had a hard time getting back at it after our car accident. During the couple of months I was in too much pain and too uncomfortable to go in and work at the studio, I kept looking at and finding all kinds of art blogs. I've thought it before, but in these months it really sunk in.... I know very little about what I am doing in this art world! All these amazing artists can write about their knowledge... values, temperature of colour; warm and cool, how light works, etc., and although I get the gist of what they are saying, I don't think I have the full understanding so as to put it into practice- especially where colour mixing is concerned. I don't mean to make it sound like I don't think I have any clue at all and oh, poor me, but I have realized that when I paint I am not relying on a whole lot of theory! Right now I am painting, I guess, from my gut- what I like, what I don't like... my choices are intuitive rather than, well... informed! I don't necessarily think this is entirely a bad thing, but the unfortunate result of this self awareness is that I am feeling like a bit of a sham! I don't think there will ever be a day that I think I know enough about art. Therefore this desire, passion and quest of mine will be lifelong. But I can think of worse things! :o)

Thanks to all of you who take the time to leave wonderful, supportive comments as you watch me climb this learning curve. It is a steep one and I'm happy to have you join me on this journey!

Ice, Water, Snow, Frost

Ice, Water, Snow, Frost 

7x7"

acrylic on canvas
© Nicki Ault, 2012
sold

This is Tuesday's plein air effort. I did a bit of tweaking on it this morning while my little partner tried his hand at a bit of acrylic painting... with the addition of stickers. I had taken a photo of this one, but upon seeing it on the computer screen I realized that the land, water and foreground ice were all equally a third of the painting. It just looked way too orderly and contrived, so I dropped the water down and made some adjustments to the land. I'm much happier with this, compositionally speaking anyway.

Even though it was unbelievably windy, I went down to the river to paint yesterday (Wednesday) afternoon when the boys were at school. In the next day or two I will hopefully be able to post the piece I worked on but in the meantime I will have to finish it in the studio... the temperature really dropped last night, so I won't be venturing outside to paint. This one features a rock covered far bank and I don't know if I can pull it off. At any rate it definitely needs more time spent on it.

Also, to the Irish out there, I wanted to say a belated Happy St. Patrick's Day! My grandmother came to Canada from Belfast, Ireland when she was 4 years old. She was always so proud of her heritage and would wear a "Kiss me I'm Irish" button on March 17 every year. In honour of the day I made green scrambled eggs for lunch and put green food colouring in the toilet water! The kids enjoyed the fun, but in the end I was the only one who ate the eggs. Can't imagine why.