While my current painting was out of the house, I did not want to start anything new, so I went back to a couple of unfinished oils.The first one , the view from friend, Jean's studio was a still life in which I was using Ray Crook's work as teaching aid and inspiration. (I still can't do that link thing. ) I was pleased with the fruit and the fact that I resisted the urge to paint more into the flowers. I had made the container ship on the ocean far too prominent, and have knocked it back here. So I think this one is done.
I started the other one ages and ages ago, after a visit to Vichy, where I enjoyed watching the boules players in the Parc aux Sources. I've just got back into it, revisiting the building behind. I have to make those shadows on the ground less woozy. It looks as if they're playing on a very wavy woozy surface! I am rather fond of the man in the bumble bee stripes, and the bandy-legged lady.
6 comments:
I love your still life - the light and modelling on the fruit and bowl is wonderful, so lively and glowing amongst the grays and neutrals. The repetition of shapes in the shadow of the handle and stem of the white leaf is great to lead the eye up to the flowers, admirably subtley rendered!
Lovely to see the boules players again - so full of concentration, action and character. The building is looking fantastic - nice to see this progressing and look forward to the next WIP...
Gosh you have done such lovely work!
I love Bumble Bee Guy too!! What an interesting slice of others' lives captured in your oil.
The still life is full of shape and colour that are magnets for my attention. I find I love staring at this painting... that white leaf (peace lily?) adds such interest to the compostion. Just beautiful!
(I did not allow myself to read CPG's comment till I typed my own...
I love the still life too--the color of the fruit, the modeling of the cloths especially, and the composition--that the flowers are barely in the frame. Beautiful leaves and the background (always a sticking point for me in still lifes) is just right!
The players in the Vichy scene are so intriguing--all the different poses and things they're doing ...
I love these! What a good idea to get them out and work in them with fresh eyes.
The still life is just great, I love the movement of the leaves and the light and shade on the jug.
The boules players is a great painting, yes, I love the bumble bee guy and the woozy surface makes it seem so lively.
Great work!
Yes, Laura - I agree - the flowers not being fully in the frame makes for such an interesting composition! I did not notice that until I read your comment; my eye was focused on that white leaf (petal?) Amazing how the mind fills in information that it does not see, but is suggested in the picture... i.e. the partial flowers were fully "there" in my mind! (Apparently we do that with words too.)
Thank you Cathy, Gillian, Laura and Kari for your encouragement. Gillian told me how to make the link, but I have not quite got the hang of it. You can see some of Ray Crook's paintings at http://www.savill.com.au/artist_raycrooke.html
His paintings are often based on the(golden?) rectangle. The white 'leaf' was a flower on a spathodea in a pot here. I deliberately chose 'non-precious' flowers. Because of following Ray!Boules -I should not put unresolved things up, perhaps, but it's a different way of seeing, isn't it, to have the image on the screen. Then it's too easy to put it on the blog!
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