ArtPact #7

(Originally published on January 7, 2007).


Last week, I showed an only-started-and-too-busy-and-sick-to-finish underpainting.

And so, this week, in full repentance, while crying "peccavi!", I am posting two finished paintings.

I worked on them quite a bit, brought them to my critique group, got the usual "The background is not quite finished!" comment from JanieP, who was right - as usual - and I went back home, reprimanded, to work on them a bit more.

And, here they are.
Finished, so I hope.
Well, mostly.

They are both - yet again - pomegranates.
The first being the continuation of last week's underpainting:

"Outcasts #1",
Watercolor on W/N CP Paper, half-sheet (15"x22", 37x55cm).

Both paintings have a very similar composition, but they are done in different techniques, and have different moods.

"Outcasts #2",
Watercolor on W/N Rough Paper, half-sheet (15"x22", 37x55cm).

"That's it with pomegranates!", I cheerfully thought, "I can go back to painting people!!!".

Hmm, not quite.

Yesterday, we had the annual holiday party of our watercolor society.
Among other things on the fun-packed agenda, we had an enthusiastic speaker from the Triton Museum, who elaborated how beautiful art is usually all about the subject, while exquisite art is more about the idea - thus not always beautiful nor eye-pleasing.
And I bowed my head in shame, as I realized that I haven't gone far enough with the idea on these pomegranates, as I was trying to keep them pretty-looking.

What's wrong with me!?

As BearGal from our critique group (yeah, now you have a blog name, dear!) said, with increasing exclamation marks:
"You want to show decaying pomegranates?
.Then, paint decaying!
.Take it further!!
..Be daring!!!"

Even The JohnnyB said, "Outcasts? They don't look like outcasts! They look ripe, even sensuous".

Y'all must be getting pretty tired of these pomegranates, Eh?
So am I, trust me...

But I am not sure I am done with them.
Not just yet.
I need to see if I have the guts to really make a painting that will capture the essence of how they look, dry and rotten and pecked by birds and forgotten, and overall, looking like outcasts.

Back to the easel, then.