Every painting has a story, a beginning, a middle and ending. My part is the beginning. The middle is often anonymous, lying around, waiting for wall space, to be discovered. Until then, in the care of the artist.
Completed canvas 1327?
The story behind the painting
Canvas 1327, Untitled 50x44 oil on linen 4/21/20
The question Mark.... I hate it as it is! When compared to the last canvas 1326.... it was lacking good structure. Another hard critique happened in flash! Before it was dark, I was making correction lines on a copy. And, then on the canvas itself! But that will be another story.
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| Canvas 1327-4 at end of day 4/16/20 |
Nice sunny day, painting right along to Pandora, interrupted by poodles, typical...... BUT, bothered!
Ugly detail!
Not my favorite detail, a bit messy but second pass will see it cleaned up or removed! After sleeping on it, removal is an absolute!
I find during the painting process most canvas have this oddity, a moment where it will be a failure and deserves expulsion from the easel and should not see the light of day! Today is that day.... Even the camera could not warmup to idea of it. This is big canvas idea meant to immerse you like a black hole, capture the artist and anyone who encountered it.... a billboard has the same concept behind it too. Ideas like that cannot be done in a small way and expect to work! When life was slower, there was a common highway signage, tidbits to captured you with small announcements to a destination, by the time you got there you had to pee, get gas and were starving for a burger and pie with ice cream of course.... captured!
The concept is still in use only in a much grander way. Few words, very direct "10 miles more" or a picture of pie and ice cream.... next exit! My 50x44 canvas is on the small size for it. A lot of words to say "Less is More"
Clutter is why this painting is a failure! 
There are four areas marked in red that do not belong and work against the original "Less is more" concept of the collection.
One:
If this were a dark painting, not bad and perhaps would fit my concept. In this painting, it needs to be removed!
Two:
The cream sun effect has an abrupt separation from the blue sky, a detail better removed and simplified with the blue-sky reflection. I am not sure the lily pads are a viable detail yet.
Three:
The sky reflection is too painterly! Under normal condition a nice movement. However, once the cream areas are removed... will unify the upper with the lower section.
Four:
The fish must be removed first!! And was!!!
5th Session, back on track! 4/17/20
From a distance the painting is more unified. Looking at it with fresh eyes, the dark green field must be neutralized.
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| Canvas 1327-5 at end of day 4/17/20 |
Happy with the progress with lower section. Still not sure about the upper left though. I think extending the eye with blueish purples marks over some of the dark green might work. I removed the annoying fish and worked my way up. I still have a division in my field colour.
The midsection is toned in temporarily as transition points. There was not time to work it out.... better sleep on it.
A little inspiration, last night I found these lovely Tiffany Vases while looking for examples of iridescent colour transitions when light strikes. Tiffany was the perfect place to start!
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| Photo reference detail |
I would rather paint the effect before relying on iridescent paint. The stuff takes forever to dry!
Trouble in the making
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| Scarlet looking for work 4/18/20 |
6th Session 4/18/20
Sunday, fresh eyes, still confined to art cave - nothing to do but paint with sun overhead and Pandora in the background! Today is about the midsection, I am a lost cause but the painting has possibilities!
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| Canvas 1327-6 at end of day 4/18/20 |
Today's session saw the painting finally come together. More bubbles were added, may need more to balance things out. Now only two unfinished Koi at the bottom. Not sure if more are needed.
Details
Decision time!
The section below is in a state of flux, adding some sharp green adjacent to the lily pads helped a bit. As a detail works well. The white lily pads could be the issue. Once the cream section was removed stands out becoming the focus point.... do not think so.
Playtime!
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| Hard to resist 4/19/20 |
7th Session 4/20/20
Fresh eyes, a great tool when in a sticky spot. Especially towards the end. Diminished light confirmed the albino lily pads must be recoloured, because no longer part of a light pattern. If they were, there would be a spillover of light on the field. The cream section removed yesterday shifted my focal point to the albino lily pads and must be removed! And, balanced with the right-side lily pads. Sure, I will extend the field colour into the dark green areas too!
Canvas 1327-7 at day's end
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| Canvas 1327-7 at the end of day 4/19/20 |
The dark areas became an asset
A work-in-process
There is a connection, a movement developing between these two details below that require more attention.
Each mission accomplished exposes new areas that require more development. I am using a divide and conquer strategy to win!
8th & Final Session 4/21/20
The painting will be finished today! One of my quirks, I do not like to take a canvas beyond the eight session, billboards excluded! Today is a final top down review and punctuation.... my favorite day with any canvas. That is until it finds a forever wall. The learning curve was a bit tedious at times.
Completed canvas
Details
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| Canvas 1327-8 at end of day 4/21/20 |
Details
THE END!
SIPSwimming-in-Paint
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