Passions of an Odd Chick

Friday, November 6, 2009

Searching for Sophistication





I've been doing what I love to do on the side:looking at art magazines, looking at art books, watching art videos, until I get my work done and I can paint myself.


This is a new watercolor. I'm still trying to paint without drawing, without a composition in mind, and letting the paint and the process take me along.



But I'm a little discouraged with my art these days. I know I must keep working it out. I wish I had a good mentor besides my own self-exploration.



For instance, why I do I like this version better (digitally altered)? The composition and design elements are much more interesting to me. Am I crazy? The other seems so elemental.
How do I get from there to here? I won't be satisfied until I can paint with a brush dynamic and sophisticated images. But how do you gain sophisticated images when you have an elemental artist's mind? That's my dilemma. Well, back to the art magazines, books, videos, classes, etc. And I'll take any suggestions.

7 comments:

Unknown said...

the creative process is so organic .... it has a life of it's own. I like the second one too - but I don't know why either :)

Carol Anne Strange said...

I like both images for different reasons. Creativity is a struggle at times. Just go with it and see where it takes you, Chick. x

*jean* said...

the journey...maybe you could print off a copy of the second one and paint with that as your guide...i love the colors you put together, they're wonderful and the first one is still different than say the parrots over to the right so, you are moving in a less realistic, more stylized direction it seems...

is there a division of what you like and what you think other people would like? sometimes that can be a block to really creating what you envision...

Renee said...

Goodmorning. Now I don't do art at all, but I do know what I like.

I actually came over from another blog when I saw your painting.

The colours and the painting are one of the most beautiful I have seen.

Thank you.

Renee xoxo

DM said...

I don't know about you, but when I painted, I was NEVER satisfied. And everyone else loved the work, but I always felt that eternal LACKING. I think that is what keeps the creative juices flowing.

Steve Emery said...

You know... I wonder if you should start with your more elemental paintings, or photos you've taken, and digitally alter them, and THEN paint the result, or let the more "sophisticated" or interesting digitally altered image inspire your painting. 'Cause I really understand what you mean about the altered image being more interesting. What happened to those birds AND to those blue shapes in the background quickened my pulse, too. You're definitely not crazy.

So what would happen if you painted from that digitally altered version of your painting, trying to bring out and heighten the things that excite you even more than the computer image does?

DJ said...

Hmmm...when you altered the original, a couple of things occurred:
~ You created asymmetry, which is more interesting to the human eye because we usually seek symmetry. Most untrained artists erroneously compose from the center of the space, which adds no interest and subconsciously "bores" the viewer.
~ You also defined your colors a bit more, which you can easily achieve in an original.
~ You also intoduced repetition which is an important principal of design in any composition. The repeating of the squares is pleasing to the eye.
Your work in subsequent posts have more of these qualities, so I'm probably late with these observations. Take them with a grain of salt...
:-)