Beauty and the Beast

Zinnia and Daisies #4 oil 4 x 4

In this case the beast is composition.  Creating well balanced, interesting, unified compositions has always been a challenge for me.  There is so much literature about the various types of compositions, but it’s difficult to prepare a scene to one of these standard formats, for instance, the S curve, the steelyard, or the tunnel.  And does one want a formulaic composition?  Yet I’m always in doubt when I look at one of my compositions and wonder if I’ve arranged the spaces and shapes well.  There is so much thought and work to it, and that is another rub.  Work, ugh!  I want to paint in that free “zone”, not plan, plan, plan, and think so deeply about these hard topics!

But a painting without good composition fails, even if well painted.

Here is where beauty helps.  I’ve found that if I setup a vase of wildly arranged flowers—a cheap, big old grocery store bouquet, and set out a collection of 4 x 4 gessobord  panels, I can paint what are essentially a series of “thumbnail” paintings of flowers.  I can practice small compositions, balancing how the shapes come together in these small spaces.  It’s free and fast and so much fun working around the beauty and fragrance of the flowers.  I don’t think about the formula compositions. I just look at the positive and negative spaces and how the sizes and shapes are harmonizing, flowing and creating balance and movement in and around the flowers and within the small square I’m working in. I’m finding it good practice and I believe it will translate to better compositions on larger panels.

What beast can you tame by surrounding yourself with beauty?

I’d like to hear from YOU!  Please leave comments and questions.

My paintings re available at Cary Gallery of Artists 200 S. Academy St. in downtown Cary Ashworth Village. 919-462-2035 Mon-Sat 11 am-5:30 pm. 

. . .  And by contacting me at the following links:

 Sheffield Art Studio

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