WHAT COMPELS YOU? Arrowleaf Daisies

ARROWLEAF DAISIES - SOLD

What compels you to paint something is as important if not more important that what compels a buyer to purchase your painting. Take a look at your newest paintings and try to remember why you were inspired. Then plan a new painting and follow the directions below. After you've finished, step back and see if you've created a more saleable work. You will be surprised.

So you have a great idea. or you've taken a great photo and you want to paint it. Take some time to plan.

1. Consider the choice of colours and try to limit it for 3 - 5 plus black and white.
2. Think about the composition - what is good and what is bad about it. How can it be improved?
3. Can you de-clutter?
4. What are you trying to convey?
5. Exactly what about that inspiration photo compelled you to paint?

Now you have a few more guidelines and you can get started.

One of my recent sales is a good example of the technique above. I knew it was a winner but needed some adjustments to make it the best it could be.

1. Arrowleaf Daisies, works with the dynamics of cool and warm colours placed side by side. The cool colours create far distance and the warmer colours including Cadmium Yellow, bring the flowers even closer to the viewer.

2. As for composition, it was strong from the outset, but I had to take care that the almost straight lines didn't pull the eye right off the page: I did this by blending and softening as I came towards the edge of the canvas and adding some strong uprights. The deep blue shadows in the foreground encourage the eye to follow the sweeping V of green which adds movement to the foreground.

3. The original photo had many small flowers and different grasses, but I limited them so the daisies could shine.

4. I was trying to convey the feeling of heat on the hill contrasting with delicious cool blue water.

5. The original thing that inspired me about the image was the brilliant yellow of the flowers. Everyone around here has remarked how amazing the Arrowleaf are this year, covering the hills with groups of yellow dots and big luscious leaves. It gives a very happy impression, with yellow being the colour of joy. Once I realized that it was the bright yellow flowers that had inspired me, I made them the stars of the composition.

What makes this even more wonderful for me is that this was a purchase by a lady for a male friend who was bowled over by it. That tells me that the painting is not overly feminine, which is something I work on.

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