4"x6" oil on raymar panel. Bear witness to an epic struggle. The composition of this little painting just about did me in. There is a semi-formal rule in design that states that one should not split a design in half, unless of course it is an intentional tool. If it is not obviously intended, you risk cleaving your piece in two, causing your viewer much discomfort or to just walk away shaking their head. Those darn books split my composition in two, causing me to move them a few times until I solved the cleavage problem. That last sentence just didn't sound right. Anyway... This distraction could have been easily prevented with a quick thumbnail sketch, but oh no, I just had to dive in and paint. I guess I'm the guy who dives off the cliff laughing until he hits the rock. Enough whining – problem solved – I hope you like it.
P.S. Books are fun to paint, I highly recommend it.
Posted October 28, 2009
private collection los angeles, ca
