12 x 12"oil on masonite
I watched this fantastic PBS show last night called 'The Power of Art' - the first in this series featuring Van Gogh, highlighting his 'Wheatfield With Crows'. My God - what an incredible work of art. I woke up thinking about that painting and just had to paint it. 'Wheatfield With Crows' is, in a basic description, made up of primary colors - which is something I try to avoid in my own work. It's funny how I am so drawn to other artists' paintings with those blues, reds, yellows and greens - but I have hated anything I've done with those basic primary colors. I thought I'd put aside my apprehensions and give it another try - with the focus of the painting being Van Gogh's vivid pallette. I really enjoyed working on this piece.
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8 comments:
Shoot I missed that last night... this is nice. I love how you were inspired then got to it!
Where does this painting hang? Did you just construct this compositon from seperate references?
Debbie - I'm sure the program will repeat - check the PBS website for the details. So great to see an art program on TV for a change.
The painting hangs in the VanGogh Museum in Amsterdam - one day I hope to get there. And yes, I did use several photo references for the compositon - something I usually do. Thanks for the questions.
A great composition in this one. Perhaps one of my favorites.
I saw that show last night also. I didn't really care for the actor that portrayed Vincent. But every time any show about Van Gogh comes on I'm like hypnotized to sit there and watch it. Such a tragic end for a brillant artist who followed no one.
Awesome Karin! I missed the program also, will have to watch for it. Art is such a journey, it is so awesome to relay that inspiration into one of your own creations! ~Heidi
I think the primary color scheme works because it isn't all three "true" primaries - the yellow is more of an yellow-orange and the red is more of a red-orange... a split complementary scheme, if I remember my color theory correctly. So the blue is the only true primary. I wonder if Van Gogh even thought about color schemes, or if his eye just knew to adjust his colors a bit towards the orange side?
I have been to Amsterdam twice, and was lucky enough to see this great painting each time. It has always been one of my favorites. What surprised me was that it was not as large as I had imagined it would be. It hangs in an open area near a staircase on a white wall, next to two similarly sized landscapes. You can see a photo of it on the Van Gogh museum site. Just go to the English pages, then in the lower right of the home page click on Visit The Museum, then on the next page, Visitor Information.
I like your blue walls much better!
I agree with Bill's comment above. Your use of blues, golds, purples, and even greyed dark greens in your walls (and other backgrounds) sets off the figures in your compositions.
You modify (neutralize and adjust) these rich colors so they don't dominate, but rather unify the painting and add depth and intrest to the other elements.
It's really nice work. Your output is AMAZING.
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