Esperanza - 11x14 on panel

[AlexGarcia]

Esperanza - 11x14 on panel

Any thougts welcome. Thank you for looking.

http://www.alexgarciafineart.com/fineart/images/LaPuerta-11x14-EggTempera.jpg

[Salamander]

You are consistently good Alex! ( And new and different) Keep it up!
-Eric

[Dennis H]

Alex,
Beautiful work. A little larger than the earlier ones, too, right?
Just one thing is a little confusing to me: I can't quite figure out where the dark field behind the figure fits into the depicted space. (Perhaps it's clearer in the painting than on the web image.)
Since the little porch roof comes in front of the dark area, at that point it seems to be a wall of a building across the street and in plane with the yellow brick facade, or perhaps an open space behind it. But since we don't see a continuation of the sidewalk over at the lower right, it kind of reads like a nearby wall, receding into space, and directly behind the figure in the foreground. Maybe you could add just a small visual clue to better indicate what and where the wall/plane is. That is, unless you want to keep the ambiguity because you're rendering a sort of dream space or mental picture...
Anyway, that's the only thing I could think to mention that gave me pause.
Please let me know if I'm overlooking the obvious. It is late as I view it.
Thanks for sharing it!
Dennis

[AlexGarcia]

Thanks Eric.

Dennis,

Thank you for your thoughts. My wife had a similar response to that area as well. I need to go back and see if I can resolve some of those issues. I see exactly what you mean.

[PhilS]

Fine painting, Alex!
For me, the unresolved dark area behind the figure gives it a mysterious quality - as if she's connected to the background, but disconnected at the same time. The roof over the door has an almost Dali-esque quality. It's flat across the front, but apparently goes back a level at the top...?
Anyway, the expression is very natural, unposed, and the painting works very well for me.
Phil

[AlexGarcia]

Phil, Thank you for your thoughts. Some of the things you see are very interesting.

[DLH]

I can feel the Texas heat.

[RobM]

Excellent rendition of the subject.
I have a little problem of what my eye sees and what my brain tells me. All to do with the porch roof and the wall structure.
The lighting is directly above,judging from the shadow of the porch roof but more from the left as suggested by the person. My problem is the recess in the roof, is it the longer edge that is further back or the shorter edge. I can read it either way and find it fun to do so. Having studied the possibilities of the building I am assuming that the right side of the building has a pillar that projects forward so if you want to prevent the illusion I see I would suggest that the darker area above the roof be lightened to coincide with the lighting of the person and even a high light placed on the forward projecting part of that section of wall to throw it forward......hope I explained that OK.
Like Phil, I do like the mystery of the area behind the figure. Just one more very small point.....I would have liked to have seen a little more space between the figure and the edge of the building or even overlap the figure with the building.
Great work.
Rob

[PhilS]

Aha! That's what it is: I visualized the roof as receeding on the RIGHT side, which would have made the straight front impossible. But apparently it receeds on the LEFT side, which makes more sense. Rob's reply cleared it up for me.
Phil

[RobM]

http://www.eggtempera.com/forumimages/red.jpg

Took me ages to figure it out..........:phew:....my excuse is my age...what's yours Phil??

[DLH]

I made one of those in wood shop.

[Gene]

Alex,
Your painting is really superb in my opinion. A lot of fine detail it looks to me like. You obviously love what you do. Is it possible to estimate the amount of time invested in this piece?
Gene

[AlexGarcia]

Gene,

Thank you. I do love it dearly, although it is always a struggle. It is difficult to say but I would estimate maybe 40-50 hours.

Alex

[Bert Congdon]

Great work Alex. I really appreciate you sharing it. I love it.

[JeanM]

Alex, it seems like everything has already been said about this piece. I will just add my compliments. This is a beautiful painting. I love the expression on the face of your model. And even the quirky perspective on the building facade doesn't bother me. That, and the dark value behind the figure, gives me the sense that something more than the eye can see is at play here.

This painting makes me homesick for San Antonio. I lived there in the seventies and still miss the culture, architecture, and food.

[AlexGarcia]

Bert, thank you for looking it is my pleasure to share.

Jean, thank you as well. This work has alot of personal significance to me.

San Antonio is great. I have only lived here for almost a year now and we war enjoying it except for the humidity.