Learning the hard way :P

6x4", water mixable oil on linen panel

I just wanted to do a quick little sketch tonight while we were watching the Olympics. I had my lamp in the opposite corner of my teeny tiny dormer window studio, and I really liked how it was actually making shadow shapes in the petals of the rose. So I decided to leave it there, even though the thought ran through my head "But I should be painting in the same light that is falling on the subject." Listen to that little voice, Stacy! ha.

Clearly, I didn't listen. Subject, lighted. Canvas, in shadow. Not good. Here's a rather sad little progression of how things went down. But the good news is that, from what I hear, experience is the best teacher--perhaps I won't make that mistake again? I wouldn't necessarily count on it, but I'll try to remember ;)

(also, don't paint with transparent colors in the dark)

 

 

And while we're on the subject of flowers, late last night I read through Daniel Burleigh Parkhurst's chapter on flower painting. A few things stuck out to me:

"Nothing takes the place of a flower pictures, and the only way to learn to paint flowers is to paint flowers."

"Make sketches of flowers constantly. Try to carry the painting as far as you can in an hour. Practice getting as much of the effect of detail as possible with as little actual painting of it, and then apply this to your picture."

"People seem to think that anyone can paint flowers. On the contrary, almost no one can paint them well. There are not a dozen painters in the world who can really paint flowers as they ought to be painted. Why? Because while they are so exquisite in drawing and color, and so infinitely delicate in value, they are also even more infinitely subtle in substance and sentiment."

"Use your judgment; make the less expressive of the greater, or do not paint it at all."

Okay, that's enough. The whole chapter's pretty good. Go read it. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who thinks painting flowers well is incredibly difficult. But I like to do what challenges me most. Maybe if I figure out how to paint a flower well, it will transfer over to other things? Maybe? I hear Sargent thought painting flowers to be excellent practice, and he was alright ;) I'll keep trying.