#100DaysOfMingus – #20

20 Replies

 

Mingus Day #20. 5.25 x 12 in. watercolor on Arches 140 lb. cold pressed paper. © 2018 Sheila Delgado.

Mingus Day #20. 5.25 x 12 in. watercolor on Arches 140 lb. cold pressed paper. © 2018 Sheila Delgado.

 

It’s official. I am a week behind. A WEEK. Oh well. No worries. I have two more that are almost complete. No really. I do.  But I am feeling I might abandon them, and start fresh.

Neither of these, #20, are finished in my opinion. They both show my limitations. Absolutely no sense of depth or distance. Ugghh!

I thought this piece was too busy. I wanted layers of texture. But I ended up TOO busy. So I started to bury the marks. Then I thought, well, maybe if I simplify the sky, it will calm the marks down.

In the second attempt, I added the few hills in, that are in the gold section (See photo). But it wasn’t working. So I “erased” those too. But now it just looks blah-bland. Or am I just stuck on being too literal?

So posting, and calling it done for now. But I will come back to this. I really do like Mingus in this. Maybe I will cut it out and use it in a collage. LOL.

 

Mingus Day #20, revised. 5.25 x 12 in. watercolor on Arches 140 lb. cold pressed paper. © 2018 Sheila Delgado.

Mingus Day #20, revised. 5.25 x 12 in. watercolor on Arches 140 lb. cold pressed paper. © 2018 Sheila Delgado.

This is the view of Mingus from the south. I was heading north on the 69.

 

Mingus from the south. © 2018 Sheila Delgado.

Mingus from the south. © 2018 Sheila Delgado.

 

 

 

 

 

 

20 thoughts on “#100DaysOfMingus – #20”

  1. Sea Dean

    PS light forgrounds are always tough. How about imagining a partly darker foreground, like a Marmot or a withered tree root to create a lingering journey to the mountain.

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  2. Sea Dean

    A well known artist in Canada, Robert Genn, once said if you really like part of a painting and you find yourself struggling with the rest, you have to paint out that part. He believed you would make decisions trying to protect the best part which is dominating the rest and it will ruin the painting. Matisse wasnt so brave, so when he hit a block he wouldnt destroy, but created a whole new painting like the first but then move forward. He believed in keeping the good bits to the point of leaving the initial painting unfinished. As you’re working on a series I believe the process is important to record, so consider 20 done and try a new start another day. This is probably why you’re behind. Let it go!

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    1. Sheila Post author

      Thanks for those insights Sea. Absolutely right, I am working to hard on these. When the guidelines were to make it something you could od in about 15 minutes a day. I think. I am letting go. NOW! LOL 😉

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  3. Teresa Hazelbaker

    I really love the texture and layers of colors that you have used. You might try another version and include the fence and darker fence line to add the depth you desire. But, I really like Mingus #1!

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    1. Sheila Post author

      It’s funny Teresa, but I didn’t even see the fence until I saw the photos on the computer. Good idea though, a wonky rugged fence 🙂 Thanks my friend 🙂

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  4. Janet Bradish

    Beautiful painting Sheila!! I like both the ‘before’ and ‘after’. You would be hard pressed to find an artist that hasn’t been thinking what you have – things just don’t seem to be working the way you want them to look, i need to change the image but what to do- you are going to be doing 80 more? (if my math is right…hahaha) so lots of opportunity to try lots of ideas. You as the artist get to choose – if you are asking if you should do something then the answer is yes! You are a great painter and I am looking forward to more of your views of the Mingus – have a great day.

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    1. Sheila Post author

      Thank you so much Janet 🙂 Yes, reading more comments like mine on Instagram. Not alone in that, and a pleasure to know it is universal. A connection shared.
      And YES! Get on with it Sheila, there are 80 more to do! LOL 🙂 Thanks for the prod my friend 🙂 LOL 🙂

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  6. dotty seiter

    Mingus #20, both versions: STRONG STRONG STRONG! LOVE this one, Sheila. It has a you-are-there quality that surpasses the photograph by leaps and bounds. Very striking. Kudos!

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    1. Sheila Post author

      That is as large as I can make it. You can always use ctrl and “+” to make the page larger. Thanks for the encouragement Carol. Happy weekend to you 🙂

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  9. Val van der Poel

    So interesting Sheila! I really like the mountains; they have lots of depth and colour. I like the softer sky too. I also like the immediate foreground but the mid-ground yellow is a bit too strong. If you can lift some of the colour in a straight horizontal line between the yellow mountain and the foreground (above where the dark line is in the photo) that might be enough to give the painting the depth you are talking about. – Too much good about this to give up on it – good luck

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    1. Sheila Post author

      Thanks for your suggestion Val 😉 I am still going to step away for a few days, but I will definitely keep that in mind! And I agree. It is a keeper, just need some tweaking. Thanks for your help 😉

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  10. Christine Brooks

    I LOVE THIS. What a beautiful rendition. You are really capturing the Mt and the colors of the land.

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