Another strange painting...

[Vanthoff]

This was a painting I began down on the beach below my house. I was interested in catching every color of the sand as well as the bleak area where I had set up my easle. As I was painting away, a snowy plover came running up, looked at me, looked away, and ran off. SO, I painted it in. 12" x 19"
http://www.eggtempera.com/forumimages/plover.jpg

[PhilS]

Vanthoff,

Lovely painting. The "spareness" is very effective. Any other elements would have detracted.

I was told once to never have figures facing- or looking- off the canvas. In this case, it works fine. I like breaking "rules."

For some reason I want to see a suggestion of some footprints. Not much. Subtle.

How big is this painting?

Thanks for sharing it with us.

Phil

[alexgarcia]

Wow, Derek, this reminds me of some of Wyeths paintings. Mainly the way you handled the sand and shells peaking out. I enjoyed looking at this very much. Thanks for sharing.

[Salamander]

Verrry Verrrry Nice! I second Alex.
Eric in Oceanside

[Rosemary]

I love the mood of the painting. Very quiet, yet the bird gives it the feeling of life. Very nice handling of the shells and sand and the overcast day lighting on the bird. I went and looked at your earlier submission, and see that you are quite accomplished with your drawing. Seems like ET is a natural for you.

With the painting being so fine, I hesitate to mention what caught my eye after about 3 passes over the painting, but I must. There seems to be a semicircle of shells arranged around the bird's feet, with the toes pointing at the shells. For me, this disturbed the sense of the bird standing on a nearly flat surface as the shells/ toes wanted to go to a verticle plane in my head.

When I find something like this in one of my paintings, I print off a color print of the painting, or several of them and take some colored pencil to the print(s) it to see what making slight adjustments does to the composition. I would try removing one of the shells or moving it closer to a toe to break up the semicircle.

I would not touch the painting unless or until I was convinced that I could improve it. It is much too fine to risk.

[Jane]

Love it, love it, love it.

Especially the way the light on the horizon glows, and then the bird's breast seems to glow with light as well. It has that something special that is more than just technique - it murmurs...(don't know how to express myself here... :-) )

Makes me want to work harder. Thank you for sharing.

[brianhendrickson]

Lovely piece, Derek.

I concur with everyone who says it looks Wyeth-esque. (Wyeth-oid? Wyeth-tudinal?)

Anyway, you have a wonderfully subtle piece here. Your use of grey tones and muted color give it a very appealing sense of mystery and melancholy.

I'd love to see more. Don't hesitate to post any new images.

Brian

[Mona Diane]

I understand the point that Rosemary was making about the pattern of shells, but I disagree with her. It doesn't interfere with the picture plane to me in any way; moreover, I like the idea that there is a serendipitous pattern of shells. Nature often arranges itself in synchronous ways and this is part of the very beauty of your painting. The only part I did have trouble 'seeing,' and perhaps I am alone in this, was the background. At first I thought I was looking at the edge of the surf, but I knew that couldn't be right, given the detail of the rest of the painting. I looked at it several times before realizing it was the distant sea over a hill (am I right?). Would it make any sense to add some small something in the transitional area of the painting in between to take the viewer from the foreground to the background and back? Teensy shells at the top of the hill edge, an inconspicuous cloud in the sky, or a small wave in the water? Just a thought for you.

Masterful handling of the angle of the bird, the shadows under its belly, and fun, fun sand and shell details. Thank you for sharing it in the forum.

Mona

[Dimitris C. Milionis]

http://www.derekbondart.com/uploads/barn_owl_with_large_smelt.JPG

:arrow: wow love this ET :!: