Classical Still Life with Demo of Changes

Classical still life

20"x16"  oil on canvas  - unfinished

When I do a workshop I like to have the artists
bring in an old painting they are not satisfied with
to re-work in the new technique.
I do a demo on one of my own paintings to start them off.
Here are the steps on this one. It was an older, larger
painting I had never learned to like very much.

This was painted
after taking a
workshop from
Qiang Huang
back before
I started to use my
fracturing technique.
The only parts I
liked were the
brush marks
on the lower cloth.
I love Qiang's
brushwork!

Look at the way
it is all lined up.
DUH....
what was I thinking!
Have to learn to watch
out for the tangents.

I lightly sanded
the old surface then
rubbed a little
linseed oil with a
small amount of
Gamsol added.

I changed the
shape of the vase so it
would curve into
the painting and also
moved it in from the
edge. I lowered one
of the peaches and
got rid of the middle
lemon.  I brought
forward the base of
the small dish holding
the lemon slices by
making it deeper so
it no longer lined up
with the grape.

Then I made the back wall
lighter so the jug would fit
into the passage of light.
I needed to move the
eye around and away
from the top right of
the painting so I
added a slice near the
left edge. I intend to fill
out more of the eucalypti
stalk later. I added fresh
paint all over so I could
start to fracture.





At this point the painting starts to speak to me and I listen.
I have to ask myself what I like and what I do NOT like.
Looking at it in the mirror I decide I should dump it.
BUT...darn it, I have an audience. I will have to ...
excuse me, but I cannot resist...
KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON!

I realize I do NOT like the dark area of grapes PLUS
the lower two dark corners. It was like having an arrow
pointing down off the bottom!

What to do? Does it matter?
I decided it did - if only as a valuable learning experience.
I wanted more color...and for it not to be so stiff.
This was a personal taste issue more than correction.
I already had some clementines
so I changed the grapes into an orange and lemon
then automatically the peaches appeared to change
just by using the leaves to make them become clementines.
I took the cloth all the way to one corner and
added the fringe to break up the large dark area
...still to be perfected.

The image above shows developing the fringe.
I ended up taking it further back on the table
Placing the glass to see the correction

I know I have to do some finessing in
several areas to satisfy my
unresolved feelings about this painting.
I think we all have paintings like this and it can be
a great way to discover our reactions to many
aspects of our artwork.
In my case - style change and knowledge growth.
Look what has happened since I did the very top
pic. An "off with its head " moment and got rid of the fringe.
Made the background lighter too. Will this EVER be finished...
Does it matter?
Am I enjoyed playing around with it?
You betcha! I learn a lot by risking ruining a painting than
having the attitude of trying to save it, just to sell.
Maybe this one will never be completed.