Friday, October 30, 2009

Well my little flu case is feeling pretty good today... but the school doesn't allow kids to come back to school the day after they get sent home with a fever. With all the flu going around it is a good rule, but bored little 6 year olds who are missing their Halloween party at school are not that fun to be around!

But look! I got it finished except for sealing it first with a colorless blender and varnishing.
I am also trying to decide if I should erase some of the background and add another lantern on the left side? Take a look at the next picture and see where I copied and pasted an extra lantern... it wouldn' be an exact copy like that but it just shows that space filled. Should I? Maybe it looks better without the arrangement perfect like in the first photo?


& I wanted to talk a little more about the composition. It had a little problem from the start since the chinese lanterns are so tall and the other objects are so much lower. At first actually I had some artificial lanterns from the client... but those proved to be way too tall when I got back to the studio and looked at the photos I took at the client's house, so I went out and got some real ones. Much better fit then... and I just had to move a couple lanterns when I drew it and delete one and it was a good arrangement... nature somehow usually works!
The lanterns are still pretty tall though... and the other objects pretty short. So to fit it all and stick around the size the client originally asked for, I had to put the whole arrangement lower on the board than I usually do. It doesn't look great, until you put on a faux frame which visually lengthens the bottom of the composition. :-)


11 comments:

Teresa Mallen said...

Hi Nicole, okay you asked so my two cents worth is leave the space empty - as is, no additions. I find that empty space delicious!

I think the composition is fine. If I were deciding on a final crop on this piece, I would try playing a bit by cropping in the sides and at the top a wee bit...then I would probably go back to the way it is but hey, that is just how I work... :-)

Beautiful piece and I hope no one else in the family gets the flu! Happy Halloween!!

Arcobaleno said...

Beautiful work! very beautiful colors..!!!!

Jo Castillo said...

This is wonderful, as is. Beautiful colors, complements, etc.

Reflections From Life Art Blog said...

Yep, leave the space empty. It looks too artificial if you put another one in there.

This is really beautiful Nicole, and a funny story to boot! :D Thanks for including all of your thoughts and the story. It adds a lot to a post.

Nancy

Anonymous said...

Hi Nicole, Don't add another lantern, your comp. is fine without it. One less gives it that not perfert look.

Carolina said...

Hi Nicole,
I'm with the 'gang': I like it better the way it is. One more would make the lanterns part too simmetrical, too perfect as anonymus said...
Best regards,
Carolina

"JeanneG" said...

It's shape is too uniform with the added lantern. I like the empty space too.

Paula Pertile said...

One more vote for leaving it as is. Its mahvelous!

Hope flu girl stays OK, and the rest of you too.

readingsully2 said...

I love what I see. :)

Anonymous said...

Nicole, lovely painting! I have a question. In your post you made reference to sealing witha colorless blender--- I guess I am not real sure what this is. I have used a colorless blender for blending colors together, but not for sealing. Could you talk a little more about this please...I learn so much from your post...thanks! Pam

Jill Iversen said...

I say leave it "imperfect." Good work!