Friday, April 16, 2010

Secret Places, So Close

I chose the title for this painting about a third of the way through; thinking the dark spaces hidden in the painting lended themselves as "secrets" stored away, piled up, buried underneath the surface...small treasures waiting to be found. However, as the painting developed those dark spaces and shadow shapes became much more. Often a photograph, or even the exacts of life studies, do not translate well to a painting. So about half-way through a painting, I will put the reference away and let the painting lead me through the description. The shapes that evolved in the shadows and the rich, dark textures seemed to take on another level to the painting I had not expected (or planned).
Secret Places
(almost finished)
Watercolor on Aquabord
22X30

A little more "push and pull," tightening up lines, and glazing the urns and shadows and then done! I can see the light.

3 comments:

Angel Gutierrez said...

Has sido una valiente enfrentandote a esta acuarela.
A pesar de que es aparentemente un caos de trastos acumulados has conseguido una excelente armonía de color y de luz.
Me gusta mucho como te ha quedado.

David said...

Ariel,

Yes, very good Ariel. The "third eye" of the spirit reveals life at another level. Some call it the mystical experience.

This painting and your narrative reveal a depth of understanding that is reserved for the "few".

Thanks for sharing.

DAF

suzanneberry said...

Ariel, thank you so much for your incredibly kind and generous comments! They really mean a lot.

Now, this is an incredible painting. I use photos for reference, almost exclusively, and am going to follow your example. The colors is this are exquisite, I Love this and cannot wait to see it completed. Your work is just beautiful.