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Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Swept Away . and Now I'm feeling a Bit Lost

Sketch, with scribblings

Masking on; 1st glazes - quin. gold, warm & cool pinks, cobalt blue

Softened pinks with 3 thin glazes warm grey
Foreground darks floated in, to better estimate values throughout

Some detail started

Trying different techniques for street
Photo in background

Large color masses placed
Playing with building texture [love doing that]

More building detail
Started leaves

I am here
Lightened road surfaces, and worked on leaves till I was cross-eyed

  I was, as I said, swept away by a photo my aunt took, when she and my mother were in Greece. It's an amazing, vibrant picture of a side street in the Turkish quarter of Athens. I LOVE painting old buildings, so, the same day I found the photo, I got a sketch going. I couldn't wait; the photo itself looked like a painting. Well, I've been at it for three days, and my initial fervor has dimmed a bit. The detail of the leaves was getting to me. So I'll put it aside for a few days, and look at it critically then. Any comments or ideas???

11 comments:

  1. Love the buildings. I don't see a problem, just a painting waiting to be finished. Some recession on the plant life and it'll look just fine and dandy!

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  2. Good Mornin'........I appreciate what you are going through with that initial eagerness to paint and having the joy diminish as you go. It happens to me sometimes, too. I think it's because I take on more than I'm really ready for. But, that's just me. This piece is going to be fine but I feel the leaves are taking away from the scene. Are they too bright, too large? They appear to hang in front of my face like I'm looking down the road from behind a tree. If they are on the building in the back they need to be small, darker and less in my face. They are not the highlight of the scene. I hope that gives you new perspective on your painting. These are the type I don't dare try.....yet.

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  3. Kathryn, this is amazing, the contrast of the dark street and light on the building is so striking. Take your time with this one, it looks like it will be a great one. Is that the shadow of the street sign? How big is this?

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  4. How wonderful to be so inspired by a photo and what a great subject too. I think it's coming together well - nice texture on that building! x

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  5. Hi Kathryn. Lovely warm colors, I never use that tone of rose, but i think i will start doing so , it is really nice, and the painting is coming together very well. But I also think Carol is right about the leaves, there is some thing not right, like they were flowing freely in the air:-))

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  6. I think you have reached the mid point of your picture, the glow of the initial inspiration has worn-off and now it is taking on its own life. Now the work begins, so take a break and get back to work. It is coming along very nicely.

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  7. It's coming along beautifully, Kathryn. I don't know much about watercolor but when an oil painting of mine loses my interest, I find putting it aside for a few days works well. One day I will find myself thinking about it and in my mind resolving the issues. It just kind of happens and then find I am excitined again and have an idea of what to do to finish the piece. Perhaps this will happen for you as well. :-)

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  8. Just a bit more, keep on tweaking. It is coming along nicely! :-)

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  9. I understand and share your love of old buildings as a subject for painting. This will be a really beautiful painting. I think that Carol's suggestion of toning down the leaves will be a good one...work more on the buildings if you wish and then decide how much toning down the leaves will need.
    This will be a beauty!

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