Waskesiu Lake at Dusk - slight revamp

Waskesiu Lake at Dusk

(update)

30 x 36"

oil on canvas 
© Nicki Ault, 2012 

I've been living with this painting for a short time and while I was happy with it, I noticed it had darkened once it dried, at least enough that I felt like it needed a bit more energy. I brightened the light areas and punched up the heat in the horizon line. As one of my studio mates said, if you're going to bite off a sunset you may as well go for it! How true! Sunsets are dicey. I often think they should come with a great big slice of cheese... and yet here I found myself painting a big one! I have been tempted to call it "Fromage at Dusk", but in the end I think there is something about the sky, the cloud formations, that keeps this painting from being full-on corny.

   before
© Nicki Ault, 2012 

One other very small change I made (that I think is an improvement) is the touch of warmth I added to the jut of land on the left hand side. The slight reflection of the setting sun really brought this area to life.

I'll be curious to hear what you think of the changes. Let me know in the comments if :

A) the painting has more impact and drama... you say, "thumbs up!"

B) you are indifferent... you say, "whatever!"

C) this painting is now perfect material for a Real Estate agent's calendar... you say, "cheese please!" 

Details - Paintings Within the Painting

 

 

Here are some of my favorite passages in the painting I posted yesterday, "Waskesiu Lake at Dusk". To me they are paintings within the painting.

With the start of the new year I am contemplating many things and wondering where the months ahead will lead. I want to experiment and step out of my comfort zone, the problem is it is just so comfortable here!!! I actually pushed myself today, on a small scale, but none-the-less. I played around on some small boards with expressive marks. If I muster up the courage, I'll show you what I did. I have also been devouring the art books I got for Christmas and revisiting ones I already had which is where I found the quote that is now stirring around in my head. It's related to the advice Degen Lindner gives her students regarding their paintings; she says something like "It has to be more than what it is". Simple words with a lot of meaning. Here is the quote I've been pondering:

"Objective painting is not good painting unless it is good in the abstract sense. 

A hill or tree cannot make a good painting just because it is a hill or a tree. It is

lines and colors put together so that they say something. For me that is the very

basis of painting."        ~ Georgia O'Keeffe

I found it in the book "Georgia O'Keeffe" by Georgia O'Keeffe. It has a beautiful collection of some of her work and it is written as if she is having a conversation with the reader. I wanted to provide a link to the book, but couldn't find one. It's old ... a treasure I found in a used book store within an antique mall in Edmonton. Now there is a fun way to spend a few free hours!

Waskesiu Lake at Dusk

Waskesiu Lake at Dusk

30 x 36"

oil on canvas

This one really busted my chops. I put in some serious time at the studio over a period of three (non-consecutive) days. This is where it ended off today. It could be done. Maybe. I think.

As I painted it, especially today as I was winding down, I kept thinking of the advice Degen Lindner gives her students about the way they paint their subjects. She often says, "It has to be more than what it is". I get that. I am just not sure I always reach that goal. Tomorrow I will show you some details of this painting that I do believe are areas that "are more than what it is"... I'm just not sure that the whole is greater than (or even equal to) the sum of it's parts. Today I also rediscovered a quote that relates to this idea and I'll share it with you tomorrow (because I forgot the book at the studio).

Stay tuned...