The Square Format

I must admit, the square canvas format is starting to grow on me. It is challenging as far as composition, but I am enjoying it.

Here is painting number 4 which is a view through the blossoms of the Oriental Dogwood tree with the orange and yellow splattering of the California poppies and calendulas.

Composition

In creating art, the spirit of balance is best exemplified by the concept of composition, the arragement of elements in the space within the borders of the paper. Every mark changes everything. One must learn to be mindful of the whole picture when composing a painting.

Some artist begin each painting by "blocking." Think of your painting as a big jigsaw puzzle, then block in all your major shapes. If it looks right, chances are good that your painting will work. Once the major shapes are taken care of, the little pieces will fall into place.

Blocking is probably what Paul Gauguin meant when he referred to being "plastic" with painting shapes.


The Wave
Paul Gauguin
1888