Wednesday, August 10, 2011

The Evolution or Reworking of a Painting

Here's a side by side, or I should say above and below comparison of my watercolor "The Straw Hat, Monhegan Island", as it has evolved over time.
"The Straw Hat, Monhegan" as it appeared in 2008

"The Straw Hat, Monhegan Island" as it appears today 2011, Watercolor 16x20 inches

I used to occasionally enjoy watching Emeril Lagasse's cooking show and I always liked his comment "let's kick it up a notch" and that's exactly what I decided to do with this painting from '08. I liked it well enough when I did it, but it was a little bland, needed a bit more spice to satisfy my palate. Where before, it was calm and still and as I said a little bland, today there is movement and maybe even a little drama. This is an example of how some of my paintings evolve and come to life over time with just a few simple changes. Another example of "kicking it up a notch" appears in a post below from Feb. 20th '11.