what to call this... steps...

[bethanyt]

... completed in about 3 hours... from a photo I took a few years ago in the Art Gallery of New South Wales.
oil on canvas 40cm x 30cm
using colours I just had on the palette before it gets cleaned-
cad red, cad yellow mid, cad yellow light, violet, ultra blue, prussian blue, titanium white
quick sketch with cad red to position the main features



getting the background colours established- they will determine the choices for the other elements



positioning of the figures- just shapes but the sizes and relation to each other are important to get right early on



adding some white for the clothes and some for the floor/reflections



getting the floor reflections and the lines in-
the light is fading (rainy day) so it is difficult to get an accurate photo


this is better light- but some glare to confuse



I will check in the morning to see if anything needs adjusting...
comments welcome
thanks for looking!

[Yorky]

"The critics"

Nice work.

Doug

[roy-p]

Never fails to amaze me how your paintings emerge out of a seemingly chaotic mess of red, blue brown or whatever color you seem to have on your brush at the moment! Thank you so much for that w.i.p Bethany - you have such an intuitive and spontaneous way of working, which is just as enjoyable as the final outcome. That floor looks so water-colory!

Ha... good take on 'The Critic(s)'. Rockwell's is a much 'tighter' version though.

[carolkay]

Miss Beth-- yu are amZing-- this is. A. Very. Unique painting.

[lovin art]

Great to see how a expert does it ..... I love it ! I've one thing to add I think your reflections could be a lot more subtle mainly the yellow chroma ... Just thoughts .... But wonderful work as ever miss B !

[bethanyt]

Thank you for taking a look at the painting, Doug! Good idea!

Thanks so much for the encouragement, Prosenjit!
I really thought that my well-considered careful approach was what was so inspiring! (but you saw straight through that! )

Carol, you always drop in with such high praise- don't know if I have earned it! Thanks anyway!

Expert? Not sure about that!?! Thank you Miss S!
Happy Birthday- why aren't you eating cake?

[kirants]

Very interesting composition. All the verticals with one solid horizontal to break the planes. There is a good sense of what the human figures could be engaged in without being detailed. I liked Doug's title and also enjoyed perusing Rockwell's work by the same name. Thanks Roy

[bethanyt]

a better photo in daylight...



Thanks for the positive comments, Kiran!

[macrobertson]

well done Bethany! the grouping of the figures is so natural, and the colourful effect of the background and floor is just right

Mac

[Descartes]

Cool painting Bethany, I like how the figures fight against the dramatic background. You seem to be using a lot of verticals in the backgrounds recently, maybe a theme? One niggle I have is that I can't see much of the greens in the floor reflection. I would have thought there would be hints in particularly against those oranges in the middle of the painting.

[bethanyt]

Thanks for the kind words, Mac! I am sure you have seen many scenes just like it. (just smiling to remember us being thrown out of the MCA! ha!)

Nathan, it is funny how your eye can just catch something interesting and out comes the camera and hopefully you captured something. A theme? maybe so, hmmm- I hadn't thought of it. You are right about the reflections, and I will have another look.

[Bongo1]

This is fantastic! It must be hard to work with so many bright colors but not overwhelm the figures. In fact, the earlier versions show how the piece only gets stronger as the colors intensify. Wow.

It seems like the two women are talking to each other while the guy looks at the wall.

[bethanyt]

Felix- thank you so much for the encouragement! It was a fun painting to do.
I am in two minds whether to add detail to the faces and hands. I will look at it this weekend.
I am such a people watcher- I think up stories for them. With this- I wonder what they are talking about and if they are engaging with the art.

[Eraethil]

Captures that moment really well. Strong composition!

[bethanyt]

Thank you for the positive comments, Rick- much appreciated!