7:56AM - WIP
colored pencil on museum board
6 x 6 inches
©Ann Thompson Nemcosky
No, it's not finished yet. But yes, it is getting closer. It has occurred to me while working on this that it's all a lie. The drawing that is. It's all about trying to make you believe something that isn't, and never was. You see, I have my reference photo, that I took when I was actually there. Yet the photo isn't really the moment. And to make it even further from the truth, I manipulate the photo on my computer - cropping, adjusting color, brightness, and contrast, until it no longer resembles what came straight from my camera. From there I make a print to use as inspiration for my drawing. Which is another step away from the actual moment of the scene. Yet my manipulation of the truth doesn't stop there. Will you still believe it's water if I make it just a little more greenish blue? Because I am really feeling turquoise for the water just because I like the way those colors work with the orange-ish sand. Which I exaggerated with just a little more color saturation. Because the orange is such a nice contrast to the blues of the wet sand. Not to mention that all of those foamy bits didn't really fall just that way, I am only trying to convince you about the foam and the movement of the surf, since you weren't actually there to see what exactly it looked like, at that moment. And sometimes shapes work better for the composition if they are moved around, or otherwise altered just a bit here and there. Looking at my drawing in progress on the computer screen does help me see where it needs more work. Where it needs to be more convincing. So it can, hopefully, be truer to the story it tells.
Oil painting has its limitations.
We can't paint nature; it is all a big prevarication, but we have to tell a convincing lie.
You can only make a sign language for sunlight.
~ Charles W. Hawthorne ~
8 comments:
Oh, but that's the beauty of the Artists' eyes.... 'cause you create everything that's felt along with what was :) Isn't it grand not to be a camera!! This piece is a real treasure, Ann.
See Rene Magritte's painting "this is not a pipe." Your painting its coming out very well.
Thanks Pam and Dan!
Dan, I am familiar with Magritte's work and his pipe that's not a pipe :-) I was thinking about that when I wrote this post too.
it would still be water if you added green, doesn't matter what colour the water is it would still look like water with the shapes and values you have down
yes, YES! Oh I do love this post of yours...the artwork is beautiful and your writing....well, it is so true! We artist's do tell a pack of very truthful lies! But it's all so others can see the truth we see. Wonderful!
Not really a lie, just your vision which is a truth unto itself. This is so lovely, Ann!
Ann - I don't think it is a lie at all - it is how you felt it and perceived it and that is where in lays the truth. It is truly lovely. Thanks for sharing.
Interesting view point Ann and interesting thoughts in the comments. Looks like you are almost finished! I like it when a piece is at this stage because those final tweaks can add so much.
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