Tuesday 13 April 2010

VISIT FROM ANITA AND MAGIC GARDEN SERIES

Completed Magic Garden Series No: VIII - Garden Pond
16" x 16" box canvas acrylic


Just had four lovely days of Anita's company here in the Broads of Norfolk. We had two whole days out visiting wonderful local beauty spots sketching and lunching out together in the sunshine. Her work is wonderful and made my so called sketches look so poor I am not even going to post them to you!!!! Do go over to see what she achieved with her Alphonse Sketchbook with scenes from my home and plein air work at Horning and Reepham in her 'visit to Joannie's sketchbook' at http://artbyanita.blogspot.com/ .


On Sunday we stayed at home sorting, planning and chatting and I asked Anita for her opinion on three of my magic garden series for a summer show, which some children visiting an exhibition last year called THE LUMPY PAINTINGS because of their many layers of thick paint!! One I had never really liked so never exhibited and after a really helpful critique, went to my little studio room and made many adjustments. Below are two stages of the changes after checking some iris reference photos taken at my friend's garden pond when I realised I had originally painted cultivated garden blooms that would not grow by water:



Decided the left looked unbalanced so added a further yellow iris slightly duller in the shaded corner:



The final adjustment can be seen in the finished piece at the top, which came about by me having coffee in the sunroom this morning with Clive and noticing the pale blue sky dropping right down between the trunks of the trees in the corner of the garden. I feel the uneven line of the blue pond I have now created between the reeds and blooms and the added stronger final yellow layer to the irises really adds to the character of the work. Do you approve Anita?

6 comments:

RH Carpenter said...

Sounds like you had a lovely time and got a lovely painting from it - had to laugh about the "lumpy painting" description. I'd say it has a lot of texture and visual interest :)

Vicki Greene said...

I think this is a delightful painting and I just love all of the colors and details and yes the lumps!

Anita Davies said...

Oh Joan, what a difference a session makes, this is stunning!!!!!
Well done!
Thanks for a lovely break, as always, and such flattering comments...I blushed a little. :)

debwardart said...

I think the finished painting has a lot more depth. Aren't painting friends great!!! Glad you had a good time painting and visiting with your friend.

Sandy Maudlin said...

Your painting actually seems to have a fragrance clear across the ocean. It's stunning.

DJ said...

Good to catch up on your posts and hear your knee surgery went well. Your painting is just as luscious as ever. How do you have the energy to do so many workshops and exhibits? I'm impressed. Do take care of that knee, though.