up from down

I've been feeling a bit depressed lately, trying to get out from under that weight. It takes a toll on everything, not least of all my art. (My productivity goes down to zero.) So anyway, I'm trying to be more positive, getting rid of all the crap I've built up, working on being more positive. And working on working more. So here are some of my more recent works, including the one more successful portrait from the David Leffel workshop.

I did do a little work last night. Trying to nail down a still life composition. I mean the actual setup of the objects - cuz I have a nice little sketch, but I haven't been able to arrange my real-life objects to mirror that composition. I think my bowl is too large, so I'm going to V-V Boutique today to see if I can find another bowl. (And buying a teapot for work, so I eschew the coffee which makes me into a crazy-man, or more often than not, up-and-down mopey-man).

But while I was sketching the still life arrangement that I had in place, I realized something quite valuable: the sweet spot was too low! I had instinctively placed the orange that is going to be my main focal point about 1/3 the way up the picture plane, on one of the lines where you're "supposed" to put stuff...and I realized it wasn't in the location that *I* like! I prefer what I call the 60/40 composition: place your sweet spot about 40% of the way up the canvas, which is a considerable distance up from 1/3. (OK: theoretically 7%...but in reality, the picture looks almost cut in half, instead of in thirds, and this is a huge difference. And I could be off on my 60/40 ratio, because I've never measured it beyond, well, THIS fits into THAT once and maybe...half again.) I double-checked my sketch, and sure enough: I had placed it according to the 60/40 "platinum mean." Looking back at my new sketch, the objects seemed WAY too forward, almost in-your-face. That's not what I want to achieve. I am hoping for quiet contemplation of beauty. And the difference between seeing a beautiful woman and having her scream in your face is pretty noticeable. When I can, I'll post photos of all these things to show what I am talking about.

So I'm going to revisit that composition, I guess on Friday night or the weekend. I want to create a charcoal drawing of the still life before I do it in oils. Like the most recent charcoal still life I posted, which I want to now do as an oil painting.

I have to figure out cloth, though - as in, how to lay it down, create fold, which way is it going to orient in order the make the most interesting composition?