Friday, September 12, 2008

Ducks in a row

Ducks at Bass Lake
colored 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

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:

Spinneretta said...

Oh I love this... the soft colours, the ducks... it's very soothing :)

Unknown said...

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.

Anonymous said...

I agree with spinneretta. It's lovely. Do you use sanded pastel board?

Monette Satterfield said...

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!

Stephanie said...

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.

Timaree said...

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.

Marva Plummer-Bruno said...

Oh this is wonderful! I thought it was a pastel! Beautiful work!

Teresa said...

I think it's beautiful! I love the "ripply" water and the pattern of the ducks. Beautiful colors.

Ann said...

Thanks everyone. I really do appreciate the encouraging comments!

Anonymous said...

The ducks are great and they sit in such realistic water too!

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