My frustration at photography is increasing exponentially. I have very strict parameters for photographing my work, I have used them consistently, but the results are deteriorating. Or else it’s just what I posted a while back–that this particular painting is only going to look good in real life.
I will admit that shades of blue are difficult to reproduce exactly. I will also admit that there are extremely subtle nuances in this painting that even the best lighting chooses to ignore. Finally, the truth is that this painting just looks better from at least 10 feet away, and even more so at fifteen feet. I am still waiting for that app that magically makes a painting appear to be several feet away no matter what device it is displayed on. It doesn’t help to be looking at a 46″ x 38″ (117cm x 96cm) painting on a tiny laptop screen either.
So now that I’ve made all the excuses possible in the real world, here’s the final version of Sky Pads 16. Maybe not the “final answer”, but definitely the final version.
More contrast, more color saturation
News flash: Sky Pads 9 was accepted in this year’s Box Factory for the Arts Michiana Annual Art Competition. It will open on June 15. I find it interesting to compare #9 with #16. A similar palette, a somewhat similar overhead perspective, but a huge difference in the light and intensity of the colors. I’m thinking about returning to this series’ nebulous roots for #17.
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- Sky Pads 16
Alli Farkas Artist Adventures 
Congratulations! Yes, blues are always difficult to photograph and paintings ALWAYS look better in real life.
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Thanks Emma! It’s reassuring to hear that what I speak may actually be reality!
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Your blending technique is so seamless. How, how? Love the color contrasts. Another success🎉
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Thank you Jean—you’re not exactly a blending dilettante yourself. Your last Paris painting is lovely. My technique is rather unconventional in that I’m blending into one or more already dry transparent layers. Most of my oil colors are naturally transparent but if they’re not I thin them with a glossy medium ( Grumbacher Medium 3). I use a large (about 1” wide in this case) synthetic “bright” brush,which is quite stiff. Load the brush with the transparent color, then “scrub” out from the concentrated center to whatever thin edge is my ultimate destination. Since I know I will be using this technique over and over I’m willing to ruin the brush for any kind of detail work and just dedicate it to the scrubbing work.
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The naked eye always sees color better than the camera and the computer. Don’t worry about it. The painting looks great from here!
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Beautifully done! I always struggle with photographing my work. Anything subtle just seems to get lost completely.
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The odd thing is, my paintings look better in less-than-adequate light. When I light them properly, the colors all seem to “blow out” into exaggerated brilliance. Which the camera doesn’t seem able to handle LOL!
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Oh goodness! I get the opposite effect where the camera picks up much less than is there!
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I Love your art!
Simply beautiful
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Thank you Eileen! It’s so gratifying when old friends appreciate what you’re creating!
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Congratulations on being part of the competition – how fun!
I like both colour schemes. Have you ever tried a perspective where more of the underside of the lily pads are showing? I’m always wondering how things look “underneath” but then again, it may not turn out well from an artistic perspective, what do I know 🙂
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Actually, I was waiting for you to gift me with an underwater camera LOL!!!! Seriously though, I think the results would be somewhat underwhelming (sorry about the pun) unless we could also devise some underwater lighting. Looking up through water would see a large black blob of pad surrounded by very intriguing light patterns of water. Although if you could get the pads at an angle where some light was reflected on them it could be fascinating. You’d have to gift me a snorkel along with that camera…
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Yeah, it’d be sort of a murky look. Snorkel, underwater lighting, shallow water to lay down in perhaps. It’s getting complicated… 😉
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First, congrats on Sky Pad #9 being accepted into the art competition! I love the more contrast and saturation in Sky Pad #16….gosh are there really 16 of them? Would be fun if you could share photos of all of them so we could see them again. Anyway, the vivid colors always get my attention! 😉
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If I ever get to the end of the series (I keep reminding myself that Monet painted somewhere around 250 versions of his lily pads) it would be interesting to post them all in order and see how they meandered around from one concept to the next…!
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