Untitled27" x 40"
I still don't have a name for this one either... names are not my strong point!
I may fiddle with the grey area a bit more on this, but we'll call this tentatively finished.
I did this piece with two shows in mind: a regional show at the Thorne Sagendorph Gallery at KSC locally, and the 2009 International Exhibition of the Colored Pencil Society of America. Well, that was until Katherine Tyrrell (of the Making a Mark blog) reminded me that there are size constraints for the CPSA show. The regional show is fine - which I am sure of since they regularly get 9 ft high pieces in the semiannual event, but I won't be able to submit my all colored pencil piece to the national Colored Pencil Society of America show. :-( The rule is that the FRAMED work must not exceed 32 x 40", which means with matting and framing the maximum the piece can be is 24" x 32."
Size makes an impact. In an art world where bigger is better, an art society that is trying to promote a medium, that in some circles, is considered a hobby medium, constraining the size of the artwork entered to such a small size seems a silly thing to do. I understand that not all galleries can take very many large pieces, and this show is huge, but maybe that could be a prerequisite for the gallery chosen for the event?
Size had been on my brain when I started this piece after the discussion Katherine had on her blog: Juried Art Competitions - does size matter? In the Thorne Sagendorph show, my piece of 40" tall will actually be dwarfed by the other pieces trying to get in, if the show looks as it has in the past. I love the show. Yes there are more intimate pieces that get in, but its the larger than life pieces that strike you from across the gallery and pull you in....
She is a beauty of a painting. I love all the quiet areas and the strong contrasting blending in harmony. Perfection. The size of the piece appeals to me as well! Bravo, Nicole!
ReplyDeleteThis is incredible... it pulls you in in all sorts of ways, besides the size. I think the CPSA should make an exception!
ReplyDeleteit's a really beautiful work and I've enjoyed seeing its progress
ReplyDeleteYou make very good points - whilst pieces are only ever small, cp won't be taken seriously by all galleries and shows, this on the other hand could hold its own against any other medium - and that's the way to gain acceptance for the medium - out there competing in a wider world.
This is a stunning piece and deserves to be in the CPSA show. I agree with your assessment of the need for updating/change which should be made by the CPSA. Size limitations hold us back in the art world.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Nicole. There shouldn't be a size limit for the CPSA show.
ReplyDeleteI really love this piece. I was wondering how you'd handle the grey, but it looks great. Very interesting. And the best thing....the lighting. I just love it.
This is your best piece yet. At least it's my favorite of all your work. I've been following the progress. Hard to believe you covered all that ground with pencils. Very nice.
ReplyDeleteNicole this is another stunning piece! I never get tired of seeing your work. Beautiful job on this!! Love the color and the composition.
ReplyDeletefabulous! Nicole I have no words to express how good this one is!!!!!
ReplyDeleteNicole this has come out just brilliantly!
ReplyDeleteThe size can only add to that impact. Echoing all the above comments.
(Two titles came to mind: "Set in Stone" and "Rock Steady")
Once again: thumbs up!
Hi Nicole, I love the way you addressed the gray area, instead of being flat and two dimensional it feels real because of the wide array of colours that you used to build it up and I also love the way the light falls on her face it's really beautiful! Just another example of how colour pencil is not a hobby medium but a fine art medium like no other. Stunning!
ReplyDeleteThis is truly amazing - awesome-spectacular. I don't know how you could have worked on something so large (for pencil) and finish it in one lifetime!
ReplyDeleteThe composition has great tension and the proportions are very satisfying. My favourite part is the grey metal area. I can even hear what noise it would make as the girl kicks it. LOL.
I quite agree about the size bit - most my works are regularly in the 20"x30" or larger, because for me, it is hard to theme a work smaller [and my works deal with themes]... true, the upcoming show in Temple Terrace will have several small ones, more for the price diversity, but those were hard to think of - still lifes to me come naturally as 'life sized', and landscapes almost demand a sense of grandeur lost in a small rendering... to set, then, a size limitation in entering indeed seems irrational - especially in such mediums as colored pencil and pen/ink, both of which are struggling in being accepted as legit fine art mediums...
ReplyDeleteLove it! OK Rothko - when are you doing your next wall?
ReplyDeleteThe bit about the CPSA constraint which I personally find totally ridiculous is that we're talking here about a DIGITAL show.
That's right. A show in which no work will actually be shown IRL. OK, so the three top works will be invited and may well travel to the annual exhibition - but that's hardly going to have a massive impact!
All that's being seen, all that's being judged and all that will be on view is a digital file - no more and no less. The only dimensions which matter are the dpi and the file size.
I can well understand the rationale around some sort of size constraint in principle. I've seen Royal Academicians complete work whose dimensions could be measured in tens of feet and which filled walls of huge rooms in the RA Summer Show.
However I think that size constraint might well involve:
1) being compatible with the large size of art found in most commercial contemporary art galleries - which is a lot larger than the current limit
2) a fee premium maybe - for a larger size work (Would one really exclude a large stunning piece for two pieces which have only just made it into the juror's final list of works for the exhibition?). Having a specific fee for a large work would obfuscate any objections on the grounds of finance.
It is POSSIBLE for CP artists to produce larger size work.
IS IT POSSIBLE for CPSA to contemplate that fact?
I'm speechless..well done Nicole she's just beautiful.All the best
ReplyDeleteAn outstanding portrait, as a beginner I am totally in awe of your work. Amazing.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much everyone for your enthusiasm and nice comments.
ReplyDeleteI need to clarify one thing. CPSA Explore This, being an online show, does not limit the size of the entries. My piece can't be entered in that show because it is all colored pencil and the fact that the large size excludes it from the international show isn't enough to allow it in the Explore this show. According to the rules for explore there has to be an element in the piece that won't allow it in international, and I had asked if the overly large size would that excludes my piece from national would make it eligible for explore this & I was told that it would not.