Welcome back.
This week we’ll be continuing with the Sonoran desert scene. I’m doing this on an 8×10 canvas in my usual acrylic paints. The photo that I’m using is seen in the photo directly below.
When last seen, the photo appeared as it does in the photo directly below.
Since that time I have continued to work on the painting
At first, I started painting in the various scrubby plants seen in the photo’s foreground. However, it just wasn’t working for me. Things were far too cluttered. So, like a famous politician, I needed to clear the brush. Most surprising to me is that, for once, I find myself in agreement with him. Clearing brush really is hard work. I wiped out most of the foreground and started over. What appears now is an area mottled by shadows in the sand, free of visual distraction. The result, while not an accurate representation of the scene, does work better in a visual sense.
I’ve completed the hills to the left and rear. These too have been left as simple shadowed shapes, providing a nice counterpoint to the foreground.
Finally, I’ve painted the sky in all its cloudy glory. In addition to the cactus, I’ve made this the focus of my efforts.
The current and final state of the painting is seen in the photo directly below. Note that my poor photo fades somewhat the brighter colors of the original painting. I’m happy with this one but it does have a bit of that travel poster graphic to it.
This painting has also been added to a blogspot site where some earlier pieces have been posted. A couple of kossacks had asked to see them. I will add new ones as they are finished.
That’s about it for now. I’ll see you next week with an entirely new piece. As always, feel free to add photos of your own work in the comments section below.
Paint me a picture of your thoughts.
Hopefully Granny Doc would approve.
I love the bright orange coloring, especially with the blue of the shadows and sky.
B2 – Watching this painting emerge, I really liked the bold lines of the cactus clump. Before you added much else, it made me think of one of the plants(?) from KnuckleHead’s aquariums. I thought at that point this could have become an underwater vista with fish and/or other critters.
Love how you did the sky!
Thanks for the link to your gallery.
Boran2
First of all, I have to commend you on putting the past pieces up for us to see.
Sometimes certain pieces must be viewed numerous times for them to be truly appreciated.
Not so one can see the painting the way the artist painted it, but the way one sees it during the differing moods one might be in, when viewing it.
Looking back now, I can see the true spirit of some of them. The “Grand Canyon” & the “Sonoran Desert” series, are very very good.
I`d suggest you separate them, by posting them as a “collection” nominated as, “The Sonoran Desert”, & “The Grand Canyon”, rather than having them mixed with other themes.
Although I see them as “stand alone” works of art, they may be more impressive individually, as part of a collection of that theme.
Likewise with the “Cape” series.
I`m proud of myself for having been following your progression & the weekly progress on individual pieces, but more importantly, how you could keep me interested in a way I would have predicted could not be done. And that is a compliment to your talent.
KNUCKLEHEAD, Thanks for your continuing comments these past few months. I’m glad that you followed these things as they developed. It’s always helpful to have thoughtful responses.
Honestly, I just threw up that site with no great thought. Perhaps I’ll have to rearrange things there as you suggest.
Tampopo,
You don`t know how important the question mark is, following the word “plants” in your comment.
Most reefers pride ourselves in not having any plants in our reefs.
Obviously it is a common unintentional mistake & is universally forgiven by most reefers. As an example of why it is so easy to make the mistake in the difference between the two, I posted an image that had me feeling guilty the minute I posted it, till I explained the difference on the next days post.
I had taken the image of a budding plant of mine & created a composite image, including a fish, that lent itself to be imagined as part of an underwater scape.
Thank you for including me in the explanation of your description.
Here`s the image & the link to the description. (Do follow closely in that regard)
It is also strange that you brought up my reef scape in discussing Boran`s cactus canvas, while I had made the opposite statement using an image that closely resembles the cactus in the painting.
http://frenchpirate.blogspot.com/2007/08/dangerous-approach.html
KH – I was referring to B2’s second week of this painting which brought your photo to mind – similarities in shape and playing with images.
One of your photos from last week I guessed was an anemone. I remember reading a book set on an island and there was a reference to anemones. Now what came to my mind, not being familiar with the ocean, was the plant anemone. So I did a mental, “Huh?” Then I got out the encyclopedia and looked up anemone and discovered a whole other life form.
It does complicate things a bit that the same words are used to name very different things. On the other hand, it leads to thinking of the ocean as I look at B2’s desert painting – wasn’t the desert once an ocean? Maybe the cactus is an adaptation of an ocean being. Oh, the things one can imagine ;).
I will use this as an opportunity to thank you for sharing your beautiful photos and your expertise.
Thank you tampopo for following along with these posts and for your kind comments.
Please don’t take this wrong but is there a story that explains why you use red/orange and blue in so many of your paintings?
I’m not sure that I can answer that but I do tend to gravitate to the same tubes of paint.
Great interpretation.