21 December 2009

winter stillness

10x8 oil on canvas panel

I started this painting weeks ago, and never did return to it. The palette now has globs of unusable, but very pretty, paint. I enjoyed the mixing, and using knife and brush to layer color. The golden sweet gum leaf is the serendipitous result of removing paint. This ghost of the wrong colors better captures the real leaf, from my front yard. I really wanted to return to the painting and tighten it up. But as it is, I am forced to appreciate what I created, which is in a different tenor than my usual work. My husband likes it a lot, and I understand he has great taste.

Peace to you and yours. Happy Winter Solstice.

13 comments:

Marian Fortunati said...

He must.... he picked you!!!

Happy Holidays, Dar... Glad you get to paint and share with us once in a while.

Dar Presto said...

A hearty Merry Christmas to you and your family, Mar!

Barbara Pask said...

Hi there Dar, I really like the colors in this painting, the gold leaf and the color of the little branch and berries. I agree, it looks finished. Merry Christmas to you. I hope you have a wonderful new year ahead. <3

Dar Presto said...

Thank you very much, Barb.
Merry Christmas to you! All the best to your family.

Jala Pfaff said...

Really lovely. Love the subdued, subtle, quiet hues.

Diane Hoeptner said...

Yes, that man of your's knows a good thing when he sees it. I like how the sweet gum leaf looks with all those neutrals and I don't care how you got the effect! Whatever works and you got it goin' on.

Dar Presto said...

Thank you, Jala and Diane.
I've done zero painting since then. But I faithfully watch your blogs to stay inspired and keep art in my life.

luigi bluoso said...

Ciao, ti osservo oggi per la prima volta. Sono colpito dalla vicinanza dei soggetti, quasi si possono toccare. E' forse segno di un affetto particolare, di una distanza che non vuoi mettere tra te e gli oggetti. Oppure ti piace analizzarli bene nei particolari. Molto belli. Buon lavoro. Luigi

dragonwithin said...

I can see why your hubby likes it a lot: it has that nostalgic rustic appeal. I was thinking that you intentionally gave it that rough unfinished look to emphasize the nostalgia or earthiness of your composition.

Dar Presto said...

Ciao, Luigi. Grazie! I really should learn more of the language, as I hope to visit my grandparents' homeland someday. If I understand, yes, I think I do have an affection for the subjects as I work. Thanks for visiting.

Hello Dragon, thanks so much. I like your analysis. It's very likely that unconsciously I made those choices.

Diana Moses Botkin said...

Sometimes it's best to simply leave a piece alone, even when it seems to need more work. One can learn from it, even if it's just a little passage like what happened with the leaf. If you go back and work on it, you might lose all that.

So, perhaps you should just hang on to it to revisit down the road and maybe try some more of that happy accidental paint application and removal.

Mary Sheehan Winn said...

He married you :D
I couldn't resist..
Come visit me :D

Dar Presto said...

Thanks, Diana, I agree there are valuable lessons when we reflect on our work.

Mary, thanks for the punchline.
Oh I'll visit, I'm pretty sure its warmer where you are ;)