SOLD
The last still life I posted "In a Yellow Bowl" was not pleasing me at all as I continued to look at it. As I see it now, there were several problems. One was that it was too color saturated- not enough neutrals. It looked garish to me. Two was that it was too "middle value"- needed more dark (or light). Three was that the composition was too boringly linear. It marched straight across the picture plane with little to draw the eye around the rest of the space. That's a lot of problems! But I liked the elements that were there, so I decided that it was worth saving. As you can see, I added a plum as a dark element. With its reflection in the bowl, it creates a connection with the end of the spoon (which reflects the plum as well). Its placement in the lower right also serves to move the eye around and to create more interest in the shadow area. I also toned down the cup a bit so that it picks up some of the other colors and it integrates into the shadows, allowing the bright yellow bowl with the glass of water to be the primary focal point. Now I think it finally has the cohesiveness I want in my painting. The down side is that nearly all the under painting is now covered, so I've lost the spontaneity I'd like in my daily paintings. That's OK though; I learned some things and I'm quite happy with the finished piece.
