Ducks at Bass Lakecolored pencil on pastel board
8 x 10 inches
©2008 Ann Thompson Nemcosky
Ducks' Ditty
All along the backwater,
Through the rushes tall,
Ducks are a-dabbling,
Up tails all!
-excerpt from Ducks' Ditty by Kenneth Grahame
All along the backwater,
Through the rushes tall,
Ducks are a-dabbling,
Up tails all!
-excerpt from Ducks' Ditty by Kenneth Grahame
One of my favorite poems since childhood, that I kept thinking about while working on this piece.
But this one didn't turn out to be as successful as I first thought it would. What attracted me to this image was the abstract quality of the composition. Those diagonal bands, each with a different texture, intrigued me. However, once into it, I began to wonder what the heck was I thinking. All that grass making a big triangle lacks interest, takes too much space. Sigh. So I finished it up anyway and in doing so became less and less interested in the piece. I began to get ideas for new pieces to work on, making me even more anxious to have this one completed. So there it is. Does this ever happen to you?
10 comments:
Oh I love this... the soft colours, the ducks... it's very soothing :)
I do it all the time. I get frustrated and just want to hurry up and get it done so I can start on something more fun. But I think this piece is soooo lovely and serene. Loved the poem too. Looking forward to see what the next piece is.
I agree with spinneretta. It's lovely. Do you use sanded pastel board?
Even though you were "done" with this before finishing, it's still a pretty piece.
That happens to me too. Often, when I've learned what I set out to learn or see it's not working, I'll just abandon something. So, kudos to you for finishing!
Ann you are too hard on yourself. I'm so glad that you completed it and that you shared it with us! It's a sweet image with a very nostalgic feel to it.
I love it but see your point. Could you crop it to 7x9? I really don't find the grass too overpowering since you have the green on the other side with a darker blue which balances it somewhat. The ducks are well spread through the light section so my eye was drawn there instead of to the grass.
Oh this is wonderful! I thought it was a pastel! Beautiful work!
I think it's beautiful! I love the "ripply" water and the pattern of the ducks. Beautiful colors.
Thanks everyone. I really do appreciate the encouraging comments!
The ducks are great and they sit in such realistic water too!
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