
Gosh........... the last couple of weeks have been a journey! Since, finishing the painting from the last post, I have been caught up in work, and attempting different approaches to my paintings ................... I've been concentrating on composition, and my success rate has been............. appalling...............

............... I think I was adding things to this painting without really thinking about it......enough...............

...........I lost interest in this painting in the end............. it just seemed lacking in a focal point, and I couldn't be enthusiastic about it...............

So I started a new painting.............. Looking back on this now, I should have left it at this composition..............

....................but no, I had to go and add more objects..............

..........................I'm so annoyed with myself now............... you can see yet another object creeping in at the back..............

It might have been fine if I had left it there!

What was I thinking?.............. This painting turned into something grotesque, and I only have myself to blame...............
I don't want to leave you on that depressing note, so I'll show you what happens to disastrous paintings..............

They get cut up into smaller paintings............ if, and only if, there's a corner or section I think works. With this piece I used the left side of the painting, and started a whole new composition.
The whole learning curve has been an uncomfortable process, but I have learnt a lot....................... and I think I'm starting to get there.......... to understand what it is I'm trying to achieve.
I know that from doing my illustration work, it is much easier to create a busy picture, rather than hold back and brave a simple solution to a text.............. I have a bit of a hang-up about wanting to give value for money............. producing something simple and clear makes me feel I've short-changed my customer............. It can be the hardest thing to do, to pare things down............ which is what I am trying to do with my paintings.
I'm happy to report that it hasn't all been disastrous........... I've done a couple of pieces which I'm happy with. I held back, didn't over-crowd the compositions, enjoyed the space around the objects, and the colours were more successful............... I'll show you the first one tomorrow...................