Friday, 22 February 2013

Mist over the Moor


Just repainted part of a canvas I did last year.   You may remember 'Exmoor Mist' from my post on the 6th July 2012.

This box canvas measures approx. 30" x 24" (that's roughly 79cm x 61cm).   I thought I had completely done with this one, but putting it on the wall in the sitting room, I found it bugged me. Couldn't make out why and then decided it was the bottom third of the painting that was wrong. I probably wasn't totally convinced with it last year, but having lived with it, I realised my initial reaction was right...

this is the culprit...

 
I found the river too 'ordinary' and doesn't hold enough interest..

In the end I decided to completely change the part that annoyed me and I have to say I am now quite pleased with the result.   Thank goodness I 'took the bull by the horns' as they say ...

here's the result...and Renamed:

'Mist over the Moor'
~acrylic on canvas~



close up detail bottom left...



 and close up detail bottom right...




Changing the painting wasn't as difficult as I first thought it would be, in fact it was easy.  I covered the bottom third with white gesso, left it to dry and then painted as though nothing had been there before.  I think we have to make ourselves  'Forget ' the previous work otherwise we get caught up by it instead of moving on.   I added the pony and sheep to give the painting some movement, this allows the viewer to make the story up for themselves.

What say you.   Have any of you changed parts of paintings you are not completely happy with?
Or have you left it because it feels just too daunting to change it?

I would say to anyone now :

"Don't be afraid to get stuck in there
and 
CHANGE IT"

so glad I did





I am Linking today to
(many thanks to EVA & Kristin)

 and

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND EVERYONE

















Posted by

62 comments:

  2. So pretty I loved both.... But you being happy is the most important!!

    Hugs Giggles

    ReplyDelete

  3. Fantastic painting, it's funny when something 'bugs you' and you just have to change it. I have a couple of paintings like that at athe moment but am still at the 'living with it' stage :) HPPF

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. Thanks Sandra - it can be frustrating 'living with them' though can't it, until they are sorted out of course. lol.

      Delete

  4. Lovely scenes. Have a fabulous Friday.
    Best wishes Molly

    ReplyDelete

  5. So you relocated the river... I like the finished product a lot. And of course I love the subject matter! I have signed up for a couple more courses, maybe I already told you. Colour theory and another acrylics course. Did you look at my teacher's internet page? He's at ​http://colinwhitebread.blogspot.ca/ I like most of his work, but sometimes it gets a little too abstract for me. However I love his use of colour.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. Hi Shammickite - when does your new courses start? I'll to and take a look at your teachers webpage next :)

      Delete

  6. Love the field ! That is what I LOVE about paint - it can always be something else. I think I will be paint 'next time' . Ha. Happy PPF !

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. Thanks very much annkrier. Happy PPF to you :)

      Delete

  7. you know Anne, I like them both! But the important thing is that you are happy with it. I do change things if something bothers me...the feeling doesn't seem to go way until I make it 'right'.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. ...That's just how I felt, I had to make it right Christine :)

      Delete

  8. Wow, what a change! What bothers me about the first one is that the water is too blue for a river, at least for my part of the country. It looks more like ocean water. Now it is gorgeous and perfect! I love the colors and the depth.
    Sometimes, if I'm not happy with a WIP I'll scrape the whole thing down and paint something else on the panel, instead. I have a hard time going back to something once it is dry, though. I should try to overcome that.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. You're right Melisa, the water was too blue. I also felt the painting was lacking in detail somehow. True, you don't have to put a lot of detail into a painting as such, but that was one of those that 'needed' a change...and boy did it get it! lol. Thanks for your comment it is appreciated.

      Delete

  9. Your landscape turned out so well, I just love it! HPPF!

    ReplyDelete

  10. Love the final painting, Ann. Well done! Not as easy to change a transparent watercolor, but better to try to fix something than to be unhappy with it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. Hi Sandy, I agree, watercolours are a whole new ball game! I guess with those, you have to take it as a learning curve sometimes.

      Delete

  11. Delicious landscapes. I love the purple tones. Exquisite paintings.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. Thanks Leovi, glad you like the colour.

      Delete

  12. fantastic scene!
    Happy WEEKEND
    HAPPY PPF!
    HAPPY PAINTING AND CRAFTING!

    Susi


    check also our monthly challenges over on
    ART-JOURNAL-JOURNEY

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. Thanks Susi, I pop over and check out Art Journal Journey, thanks for the link.

      Delete

  13. I think you did the right thing. It often happens to me to become unhappy with my work after a while. In that case I repainted the entire canvas. You are, however, acted wisely and change only those parts that you did not like. I have to say that really looks great!
    Have a nice weekend!
    Katarina

    ReplyDelete

  14. Love your landscape. Turned out great! Thanks. Happy PPF!

    ReplyDelete

  15. such a difference -love how you changed it up!!!
    Thanks for visiting my blog too. Happy PPF!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. Thanks Linda, I'm glad I went for it :)

      Delete

  16. well, I would've said I thought the first version was perfectly lovely as it was but seeing the second version - wow - it's amazing what a difference it makes to the overall composition of the piece. I love it - the additions of the animals is perfect and the colours brought in from the heather and hills really adds so much to it. lovely!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. Thanks so much Nic. As the canvas was large it did take a leap of faith to wipe out the part I wasn't happy with, lol.

      Delete

  17. More than once, I have modified paintings, sometimes in shades of color, sometimes its texture.
    I think we all would ever happen.
    I love the result of the change. I especially like the purple and ocher tones you used, in perfect harmony with those of the sky.
    IT is a very positive change!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. Thanks very much Mayra. Nice to get positive feedback :)

      Delete

  18. Beautiful, allthough I think it was quite fantastic before, too!

    ReplyDelete

  19. Wow! Ann this is magnificent ! learning as we move ahead.

    ReplyDelete

  20. I use the same method and put canvases on my wall so I can live with them before I decide if they are finished... and the revisions on this one are great... and thanks for those detail shots... loved seeing them...xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. Glad you do that too Tracey, I was beginning to think it was only me! lol

      Delete

  21. both paintings are beautiful, but I think your final one is more interesting with the new colors added.

    ReplyDelete

  22. It's a totally different painting now , beautiful and very interesting , but I did love the tranquil flow of the river before, too ! I also change my paintings all the time. I just paint over what was there before, never tried gesso, but should probably give it a try. Have a nice weekend.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. Thanks Jane. I've had mixed comments on that river, funny how some people liked it and some didn't....comes down to that old 'personal preference' thing I guess :)

      Delete

  23. Nicely done. I have a couple paintings I need to fix something on. I think I got used to looking at them and think it would be a pain in the neck to fix. :) The river maybe was to centered in the first painting. HPPF

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. Hi Cris, that's just how I felt and left it and left it. In the end I couldn't put up with it any more and just went for it! lol

      Delete

  24. Wow! You sure did change it! Lovely! (I usually just toss the ones that bug me! LOL)

    ReplyDelete

  25. El resultado de la transformación es magnífico, y al añadir los animales hay más vida en la obra. ¡Te felicito! Un abrazo.

    ReplyDelete

  26. You're amazing! I think you had a stunning painting and now you have another. Second one has more life perhaps , but the first was peacefully beautiful to my eye too. Such in the eye of the beholder, yes?
    I have tried rescuing a few of my little painting when I've made a glaring mistake. Actually like one with a paper patch painted over. Most should get tossed, but I rarely toss anything as they are in books!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. All part of a learning curve Lynn :) Glad you like both paintings, I was some time deciding whether to change it or not. lol.

      Delete

  27. Wow! your paintings are gorgeous. Love, love the clear sky that you have painted.It looks so real. I liked both the paintings.

    ReplyDelete

  28. Wow! Beautiful job or changing the parts that bugged. I really like it in the new version. The rocks, and sheep and horse do add a story element, as well as the mist.

    ReplyDelete

  29. I liked the original version but I can see what you mean... it was rather ordinary and you wanted something more than that. Thanks for sharing the process.

    ReplyDelete

  30. I like your original....because the river contains the sky. But, I also like your second one too. I wish I could paint this well!
    Xxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. Believe me Sue, you can paint like this. By using these paints, Atelier Interactive Acrylics you can easily blend with them and change the things you are not happy with,,,,,as I did with this one!

      Delete

Thank you for visiting and leaving a comment.

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)