Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Excellent Comments

Thank you ALL for your thoughtful comments on the landscape. So Helpful!
Kristin said "I'm not sure how literal you want to be..."

This is an important question. I don't want to be too literal. That's not what I'm going for. In some of my most successful small pieces -- there has been nothing "realistic" about them, but they are still obviously landscapes.
Like this. It's called "Hillside Homes." Just 4x6"


But I don't want to ignore the issue of perspective so much that the composition looks like a mistake and because a distraction. So I'm definetely considering Kristin's further comments. She says "but what stands out to me is that the houses and the trees are about the same size. It would probably help the "perspective" if the tress were a little smaller and the houses were bigger. Maybe much bigger, so they could cover/interact with more of the purple hill." A most excellent suggestion. I will begin fusing larger pieces of fabric so I can make some bigger houses. (After all I live in Texas, land of big houses.)
I think I was guilty of making a huge foundation then reverting back to the habit cutting accent shapes in about the same size I use for post cards. Duh.

Pam suggests fields of crops. I sketched some crops in my initial drawings for this project. I also was pleased with the crops I did in this landscape.

This is called "Garrowby's Hearth." I did it for the Quiltart Straight and Narrow Challenge a few years ago. It was inspired by David Hockney's Garrowby's Hill.



I will definetely be exploring crops. Heather suggested looking at Grant Woods' landscapes. Wow. Perfect. I printed out some small thumbnails and will add them to my sketch book. Check this out.

Grant Woods' "Young Corn." I love it and think it's an excellent example of really good perspective and scale... while still keeping an air of whimsy and graphic punch. (That's a technical term "graphic punch.")
Gerrie and Teri both like the fence. Me too. I'm definetely keeping the fence, though it may be repositioned.
So. I need to do some more sketching. More perusing other artists' interpretation of the landscape genre. But not too much. Because there is a fine line between being inspired by someone and losing your own artisitic voice. Thank you all for your voices!

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love, love, love your "Garrowby's Hearth". What are the dimensions? I really like landscapes, but have never done one myself. And I live in Nebraska...where there is tons of land!

I can't wait to see how your "gigantic landscape" turns out!

Anonymous said...

Hi Deborah, I am really annoyed right now. Some of your cool pictures I can click on, and get a BIG glimpse of them> But, others stay tiny! Why?@@ Why?@?@#!~~ I'm not actually really annoyed, I just like to read and see everything you do. I didn't think the little trees were trees, I thought they were bushes or plants. They worked for me in that sense. it all works! :) Lucy

Sue Seibert said...

Deborah, I really, really like Garrowby's Hearth. It's wonderful! But I don't think I've seen anything you did that I didn't like.

Sarah Ann Smith said...

What about leaving the houses and trees as they are, but adding a LOT (or a couple lines) of LARGE trees on the purple hill....the middle is empty and needs something, a line of trees maybe from towering over the houses and receeding into the size currently on the crest of the hind-most hill.

???

Hugs, Sarah

Anonymous said...

Oh, my gosh,I love those Grant Woods' landscapes. You mean he did something besides the odd farm couple? :-)

Anonymous said...

Oooh, I can't wait to see where you take this. I think that the inspiration you've posted is very relevant to what you are doing, without courting mimicry. You've done some great research.

PaMdora said...

Thnaks for posting all those great inspirational paintings.

Anonymous said...

"Garrowby's Hill" is my favourite painting of Hockney, I love it. Your interpretation is very well done, fine composition!