Work in progress -travail en cours

Eva into the light….

This picture was considered finished and I was happy with the light and the intensity of colour in the background. Just one thing bothered me – that was the contrast between the line of the back and the background. There was no nuance of colour or shading to allow the eye to move from one to the other. This being one of the most important elements to a successful painting, i.e. that the eye can move freely around  the picture following paths of  tone and colour. For this reason and also to bring this picture to them same level as a partner piece (Eggman), I began again. One of the most useful things I learnt in Art School was that one must not allow something one feels to be successful in a picture to hold one back from taking the whole work where it needs to go.  

Here is Eva in the first stages of moving out of her intense, dark back-drop into the light.

Now again – more light and the change of the hand position

Now todays work  (- unfortunately with electrical light – a grey day in Provence

The reflections on the wet paint make it hard to see the nuances but the passages of tone and colour are opening up between background and figure. She still has a little way to go but I trust I can bring her into the right harbour.  So that there will be the appropriate quality of painterly considerations to invite contemplation of the existential elements the picture may inspire.  

 Here is the work of 21/22 November  2016 -increased light in background and on  lower part of body with some touches to the upper part.  I have altered the feet a little and  toned down the orange of the seat. I will probably blur out the seat much more as it is still drawing too much attention to itself. I still need to tidy up the feet and hand and do some overall harmonising.

This is the partner piece – much simpler in treatment, with free passage for the eye to circulate at will.