Waterlily
Yupo study
Artist Note
Painting the waterlily on Yupo and
am enjoying it. Still at the experimental
stage of discovery...
seeing what works, and more importantly
what doesn't.
I think this is a better design
when cropped this way.
(below)
(There is a good reason)
Please tell me what you think.
Bonjour chère Julie,
ReplyDeleteTrès intéressant !... On pourrait penser que de peindre des nénuphars soit une chose facile, il n'en est rien au contraire. Il faut leur donner cette légèreté qu'ont les danseuses étoiles. Leurs formes varient autant que les genres. Des fleurs qui semblent raconter une histoire. Vous avez réussi à peindre des nénuphars qui expriment des sentiments et des émotions. Elles dansent et s'épanouissent sur l'eau en quête de liberté, cernées et protégées par leurs magnifiques feuilles. J'aime la symbiose des nénuphars et de l'eau. Un jeu de lumière, de romantisme, de sérénité et de grand mystère me fascine lorsque je les admire.
Ce même sentiment opère lorsque je regarde votre oeuvre. Je pense que vous avez réussi votre challenge. Mes yeux se noient admirablement dans ce tourbillon de lumière, de couleurs et de limpidité.
Gros bisous ☼
traanslation: Hello dear Julie, Very interesting! ... You would think that water lilies painting is an easy thing, it is nothing to the contrary. They must be given the dancers that have this lightness stars. Their shapes vary as much as genres. Flowers that seem to tell a story. You managed to paint water lilies that express feelings and emotions. They dance and flourish on the water in search of freedom, identified and protected by their beautiful leaves. I like the symbiosis of water lilies and water. A play of light, romance, serenity and great mystery fascinates me when I admire them. This same feeling when I look operates your work. I think you've passed your challenge. My eyes beautifully drown in this vortex of light, color and clarity. Kisses ☼
DeleteThank you martine-alison for such a beautiful comment. You write like a poet. I loved your post with all the beautiful photos of France.
All your water lily paintings are special, this one too! In the first painting I loved the way my eyes traveled from the foreground lily to the back one and it made me spend some more time enjoying where as the in the second one the focus was straight on it, I like both :-)
ReplyDeleteI agree that there are appealing aspects to both of them, but ...
DeleteThe reason I asked for opinions is to help me decide what to do.
It just occurred to me reading your comment how I have both waterlilies
at the same level when I am looking down more on the front one so I should be looking into it more. Thanks Padmaja. I will be posting the changes.
Hi Julie, this is a really gorgeous painting in its uncropped state, but there is an intuitive feeling that the cropped version works better technically. However, if I was to choose between the two I would still go for the uncropped version as I find it prettier. That bottom right-hand lily really speaks to me!!
ReplyDeleteyes - I agree about the technical aspect...also that prettier does matter - to the heart anyway. The goal is to get it right all over so thanks for the help, Wendy.
DeleteHave to tell you that I like the top composition better than the cropped version. LoL Really...I am not always so contrary! I love Yupo! I wish I could master it like this!
ReplyDeleteNot contrary at all, my friend. The best thing about art is -taste is subjective. I am trying to find a solution to what I see is not satisfying ME!
DeleteI really like the look of watercolour on yupo and perfect for this subject - lovely painting.
ReplyDeleteThanks Ann.
DeleteThe Yupo encourages a different look-much more graphic than what you normally do. Beautiful in a different way. Those edges dry hard don't they? (But without looking hard or stiff.) Crop away! I think I know why:)
ReplyDeleteLOL thanks Libby - I bet you do know why.
DeleteI like the hard edges that Yupo makes. It is the challenge of not having them everywhere that interests me.
I will let you know in my next post what happens with this one.
I love your works on Yupo! The waterlilies are beautiful and I love the play of light within the water. In the uncropped painting the red might be distracting, but maybe I am wrong, I also love it as is!!
ReplyDeleteThe red was originally a koi and several were there. Way too busy with the make making that Yupo tends to leave. I agree completely that the red is distracting. Thanks for supporting my call for input.
DeleteBoth are great! I think I prefer the first version. The lily on top is the focus but other elements make the eye travel. Thanks Julie!
ReplyDeleteHi Kaethe. The first version eh? Good to know. I agree about it being important for the eye to travel so I have to dwell on this some more.
Deletehappy value studies!
Love these water lily paintings. All of them! Great colors and design. I favor the uncropped version.
ReplyDeleteThanks for letting me know, Carol. Helps me make up my mind.
DeleteI prefer the cropped version. The square one has two 'quadrants' with the lilies that are almost identical and two with 'nothing' in them of interest. Although my eye travels from the bottom lily to the top one in the square version, it goes back and forth like a ping pong ball. As usual, the skill of your technique almost renders the point moot...they are both beautiful. Karen Rodgers
ReplyDeleteGood to hear from you Karen...and yes...in the every quarter is different theory, the catercorner lilies are very much the same. My goal is to sort out what all the comments say and come up with a solution. Yupo makes it possible.
DeleteThanks for the help.
You took out the lower water lily which was competing with the "star". Off with its head!
ReplyDeleteYou sound like my brain - LOL. One star a painting. Good to know you are right up with all the guild member who have put their two cents in.
DeleteThanks for the help.
I'd take either one. Love them both.
ReplyDeleteThat is nice...just what I would expect from a friend who is careful of my feelings...but I know you KNOW what you would do!
Deletevery nice stained glass look :D really liking your lilies you have been posting
ReplyDeletemy Yupo work definitely has the stained glass look, but my goal is to find a way to go beyond that,
DeletePleased you like the lily series.
Two center of interests down to one center of interest. Much better. The second one for sure in my eye. And aren't all of our eyes different.....
ReplyDeleteThey are different but there are certain things which make for a better painting and one center of interest is part of that.
DeleteI have to work it out and will show what i come up with after digesting all the viewpoints.
thanks Helen.
oh and could you not crop it so you have 2 paintings?
ReplyDeleteI certainly could do that but i want to be able to find a way to make a painting i really like out of this one. Thanks for caring! Nice of you.
Deletewould go with the crop then, the red koi is a bit distracting, the colour clashes with the other colours you have used :) if I was to crop it I would probably go with the upper left lily as the main subject (I'd crop it in photoshop to show you what I mean, but don't want to overstep any boundaries and make you annoyed/angry) :)
DeleteThe only things I get angry about are social injustice and the abuse of children and animals. Definitely never when I have asked for helpful comments.
DeleteI really appreciate your excellent suggestions - especially if you thought there was a chance I would get annoyed. LOL... I sure admire you Jennifer Rose. I am grateful that an artist as good as you would take the time to offer help. I offer a true thank you.
thats good you don't get annoyed after asking suggestions, some people still do, which i don't get since they asked for suggestions so I tend to treed carefully unless a person says they truly don't mind :)
Deleteand thank you :) even tho there are a lot better artists out there that should be admired before me lol :)
Your work with yupo is outstanding Julie!! Love both of these but I truly love the uncropped version with all the added details!
ReplyDeleteHi Hilda, good to know which one you like. It's given me something to think about. I was hoping there would be a clear cut solution, but it appears I have to do some serious thinking. Lots of studies!
DeleteI keep thinking about that expensive koi - wow!
Water lilies on yupo is a match made in heaven...totally beautiful !
ReplyDeleteThank you, Jane. stay tuned to see it hopefully, improve.
DeleteGorgeous work, Julie! Love it!
ReplyDeleteInteresting about the cropped version... I know that it's "supposed to be" better, because of the lily's placement at a rule of thirds intersection, but! I have to say I MUCH prefer the uncropped one.
Why?
1) Because the rule of thirds is traditional and you tend to see it everywhere, the full piece stands out as different - in a good way. It doesn't break any of the "must not do" rules (like dead center, etc)
2) Because Yupo watercolours are very "busy" and there's always lots to look at. The middle swath of blue gives the viewer a space to breath and explore; a pause between the busy upper and lower sections, while the swirl of the water lines still leads the eye around. It's not like my eyes get "stuck" in the middle.
So for me, the cropped one is really good, very nice... but the top one is not only beautiful but much more intriguing, compelling and different. For me... ;) The little spot of red in the lower left is a bit distracting, but I do really like the counterpoint of the second lily.
Hello Keena, I really appreciate the time you gave me on this. Clear and valid - you show the openness of sharing your thoughts with the reasons alongside. I was fascinated reading them. You gave me new ways to approach the changes. A lot of the comments go in two directions - either/or - but you popped in an extra viewpoint,
DeleteI do thank you,
I think both compositions have meaning ... the pond full (water, fish, reflections and more flowers) in the square ... the water lily, only, star of the rectangular.
ReplyDeleteMatter of intention that you wanted to put in value.
Maybe, specific effect of Yupo with almost tactile sensation, led you to choose to emphasize water and water lily ....( I wrote before read other comments...)
Dearest Rita - I enjoy the way you understand and employ symbolism - it provides another area for me to ponder on.
DeleteYou are correct that I allowed the Yupo paper to emphasize the water seeing that soft subtleties are very difficult to achieve on it.
Thanks so much for your knowledgeable input. It is going to be interesting to see what emerges for all this wonderful dialog from everyone.
It's interesting that you like the cropped version of this watercolor you did. The design does focus more on a center of interest in the lower image, and it's more restful. However, I actually prefer the uncropped piece for the interchange between the two larger water lilies and that red element. It holds my interest more. Am I crazy or do I just like the tension?
ReplyDeleteYou must like tension! You raise a good point about that part of it though.
DeleteSo thinking about tension and a serene scene... I will need something to stop the eyes glazing over with boredom. Thanks so much for the experienced nudge, Diana.
At first I disagreed but after studying the first one the line your eye travels almost cuts the painting into two. The cropped version for me took my eye through the painting but it was not such a quick journey. I do love the touch of red in the left hand corner of the first one. I wandered around it for a while but never made it to the top right until you cropped it. Love your water lilies.
ReplyDeleteThanks for taking the time out of your busy day to think about this and to let me know. Interesting you never made it to the top right. Good to know.
DeleteI must read through and discover what Yupo is!! I love both, as always your work fascinates me.
ReplyDeleteAnd thank you for your kind words on the pup, much appreciated!
Hello Suzanne - Yupo is a plastic, non-porous material so the color floats on the surface. Alcohol inks seem to be the easiest and most beautiful way it can be used, but there are artists who have mastered it with stunning results and that intrigues me to keep trying.
DeleteThanks for the visit..
I like the cropped version...gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteGood to know, Joan. Thanks for helping.
DeleteJulie I think the bottom piece is a better design. The main focal point looks like it falls in a better place once it is cropped. I just love seeing your work on Yupo. Thanks for sharing. It seems to me you always know what works best. Hugs
ReplyDeleteLOL if I always knew what worked best then all the stimulation would disappear. I enjoy the learning.
DeleteThanks for the choice.
Very beautiful painting. I especially love the water and how the white of the water looks like reflections in water.
ReplyDeleteThe white of the water turns to dark in my next one. I have found the water has to be light or dark but not a middle value.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the neat comment, Shelley.
Julie, your work is always beautiful, but I believe the cropped version gives a less complicated composition with a strong point of interest.
ReplyDeleteI see what you mean about the cropped version, although I like them both very much. Loving this series as I was painting water lilies earlier this spring and they are quite a challenge.
ReplyDeleteJulie this is such a lovely and vibrant painting. Just love it. The photos of the gallery are wonderful. This certainly looks like a place I would enjoy visiting. Hope you have s super day.
ReplyDelete