"Larger than Life", oil on canvas, 3' x 3'
"Your painting reminds me of the large woman at the party who is wearing a tight red dress that hasn't fit her in twenty years and no one wants to tell currently makes her look like a wrapped sausage."
This is a direct quote from my undergraduate professor during a critique my junior year. I had painted a 5' x 4' painting, it had taken me a month (I had basically set up a cot in the art building), and I thought it was fabulous.
Apparently I was wrong.
The work depicted the nude back of woman, perfectly proportioned, but looking back just plain....boring. I had painted a boring painting, that was REALLY big. Granted, after an hour study and good cry over the painting I realized this, and also realized what my professor was saying. Just because it is big, does not make it better. There is nothing worse than a bad LARGE painting. Just like the woman in red dress, it is not pretty, and can not be avoided.
I am not saying that the above painting is fabulous. But, due to the subject (yes, check out the picture of the lemon in my hand! This is another lemon from my friends' lemon tree in Albany, GA) I could not resist painting it true to size; larger than life and with a painterly edge. In addition to the size, this lemon has an abundant amount of ridges and color depth, causing the large canvas size to be justified; it is neither a static subject or color palette. It leans toward an opportunity to paint something that makes a large canvas worthy of the party's attention.
You need some zest: $500.00 (+tax and shipping) EMAIL ME
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