Art by Bob Abrahams

Garratt Rd Bridge 18 April

Garratt Rd Bridge 18 April

I decide not to remove the tree instead, my aim was to stop the painting jumping, to take bridge back in space and to focus the eye under and through the bridge.
Not sure if it was a wise move

 

Hi Bob

   

 

   

Sorry I have been off the air for so long but the last few weeks have been difficult for me.

   

 

   

I am not sure what to say about the painting. I can tell you that the friend I am staying with looked over my shoulder just now to look at your painting and said “That’s lovely!”

   

 

   

I think that you are right not to remove the tree as it adds interest to the work as well as creating a sense of depth. In general the painting a bit lacking in interest especially on the left hand side. As always with your work it has interesting brush strokes, tonal variations and muted colours, but the pattern of shapes is not very exciting.

   

 

   

Basically you have a series of large parallel horizontal rectangles broken up into smaller vertical rectangles with the circular tree on the right hand side. It would be nice to have more variation in the shapes.

   

 

   

Working through it, I think the tree does cause a problem as it’s so different from the rest of the painting both in colour and shape, but if you took it out the work would be too empty. I am not sure how you can address this problem.

   

 

   

I think you need to do something about the colour of the tree so that you have more consistency in colour across the board. I would bring more pinks and blues into the foliage and possible bring some more yellows and greens into the rest of the painting say in the sky, the water or around the base of the piers.

   

 

   

The long horizontal pink rectangle formed by the side of the bridge needs breaking up on the left hand side but I am not sure how to do it, maybe some tonal variation making it darker on the left? Maybe just colour variation.

   

 

   

I love the piers but I want to be able to see more of the distant views under the bridge so on the left I would open them up more to allow the eye to see the distant shore. I think that you are right to make the focal point of the painting the distant shore because that’s what makes it interesting.

   

 

   

I think the railings on top of the bridge have the same problem as the pink rectangle below in that they are too regular and lacking in interest. They need breaking up in some way. It’s also a bit difficult to work out what they are. Sometimes they look like distant buildings to me.

   

 

   

The curve of the boundary between land and river doesn’t quite look convincing especially on the left. Again I am not quite sure why I feel this, maybe its just too regular.

   

 

   

It’s a pleasant painting as it is Bob and I don’t like to appear to be too critical but I can only assist by making suggestions that might take it to a higher level.

   

 

   

Jeremy

Garratt Rd Bridge Hi Jeremy

Garratt Rd Bridge

Hi Jeremy
This is a 9"x 12" oil on canvas covered MDF panel, painted on location over 2 hours with some adjusting in the studio.  I am uncertain with two aspects.
1) I am inclined to remove the tree to simplify th compsition.
2) The yellow sunlight on ground and tree seem to be too bright and I am thinking of repainting these areas in a darker yellow. This will allow the eyr to focus on the water and the view through the bridge.

Cheers
Bob

Riverside Rd East Fremantle "Morning Light"

Morning Riverside Rd East Feamantle oil 9"x12" finished???

Riverside Drive East Fremantle Morning Light

Riverside Drive East Fremantle Morning Light

Riverside East Fremantle WIP 3 April

Jeremy

Thanks for the comments.
I will certainly enhance the tonal contrast and try to identify the focal point in the next session.

Actually, there were boats in the foreground at the time, but I decided to leave them out because I did not wish the white hulls to compete with the early morning sunlight on yellow green grassed area.

I purposely refrained from using much white in this first stage, except for the sky and distant background, not sure if that was very effective.

What is your view on continuing in the studio vs going back to the site to maintain plein air integrity

Cheers
Bob

Riverside Drive East Fremantle Hi

Riverside Drive East Fremantle

Hi Jeremy
Oil Painting 9"x12" canvas covered MDF board. Completed to this stage in 2 hrs, on the cold and windy beach opposite old Oyster Beds Resturant. I think now called the Red Herring

I have uploaded a number of other paintings in progress or being reworked. to my Blog Gallery.
http://bobsgallery.blogspot.com/

The above is the most recent

Hi Bob

This is one of those Klimt-like paintings with pattern rising up the board. I have done many paintings in the same style. I like the brush strokes and the pattern of colours, with the yellow streak zig zagging leading you into the work.

My immediate impression is that it could do with more tonal contrast to make it livelier (it could just be the photograph). Perhaps make the lovely dark patches even darker and lighten up some of the lights.

Maybe it could do with a focal point. I often put boats in the foreground of these river scenes often a sailing boat with white sails. It’s a bit trite but it always lifts the work.

I think the background is the weakest part of the painting where the beautiful greens and oranges or the rest of the painting become uninteresting browns. You have reduced the tonal contrasts in the background which works to make it recede and cut out most of the greens, which is fine.

I am not sure how to improve the background but myself I would probably introduce some white and some blue marks reflecting the sky and make some of those browns a bit more orange.

The background at the top right is working better so part of the problem may be lack of definition in the background, especially in the middle and centre left. Its getting a bit lost.

Jeremy