I sort of like the water in this watercolor but perhaps the rest turned out a bit busy or overworked. No use making excuses like it was windy and drying up the palette, or I'm still in pastel or oil mode, etc. As a watercolor, if this were simpler it might be stronger. It SHOULD be about the light on everything but mostly the light on the water - the thing that turned my head. The power of watercolor is its ability to convey light and atmosphere with extreme economy. The ones where drips look like stuff instead of stuff looking drippy. As time goes on I'm getting fonder of those kind of images...maybe because simplicity and light are becoming rarer commodities. Here are a few that charm:
Gary Tucker
Frank Eber
Andrew Wyeth
Winslow Homer
And Mr. Sargent of course...
POINT BEING: THERE ISN'T A COMPLICATED BRUSHSTROKE IN ANY OF THESE - THE GENIUS IS IN THE SEEING, SIMPLIFICATION AND ORGANIZATION.
If your goal was to simplify I can see where you'd call this overworked. Just looking at it without the commentary it's still a pretty good painting. I'm curious about the Sargent. Is this a finished painting or just a value study?
ReplyDeleteHis watercolors run the gamut. From momentary studies of lighting, to ones that translated into finished works to carefully posed and costumed figure groups. This one looks like a study of a moment's light. He must have spent a fortune on gondola rides. But the color and value is so dead on that the picture finishes itself in my mind. I guess that's my idea of "art" ...when they can make something happen in my head that is more than what they've actually done. I've never gotten a feeling of warm sun and lapping water from one of Canaletto's very "accurate" Venice scenes.
ReplyDeleteI understand your comments. I keep looking at the painting, and I am having trouble feeling it is overworked. I love the feel and movement of the water. I wonder if you added just a few dark touches to the churning in front if it would pull focus to the water with higher contrast against your light? (This from someone who seriously overworks watercolor!)
ReplyDeleteThe dam and the tree line behind it are too busy and similar in texture to the turbulent water. In the backlit location photo it's obvious that darkening and simplifying the back 1/3 of the image helps it.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing. I would not have figure out why you felt your painting did not measure up. Adding the examples that you do feel work further explains it.
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