This painting is almost finished. Almost. The eye flows nicely through this atmospheric, impressionistic bit of landscape. We’re not stuck on any part and that’s good. The four red blooming dashes in the lower half circle nicely around the middle. Oh, the middle. What’s that there? A red smudge, not as articulated as the four but relating to them by virtue of its color. Ermmm, that doesn’t work, can’t have that in the middle of the painting, such an important focus of the work, and besides it destroys the pattern of “the four.”
Notice that when that red smudge in the middle is subdued, the painting feels resolved.
Elaine C., Untitled, oil on canvas, about 14”x 18”
All contents copyright (C) 2010 Katherine Hilden. All rights reserved.
artamaze by Katherine Hilden 
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