Looking out on you

[Merethe T]

Well, just a working title, son't know what to call it yet...
My latest work, trying to take my stills a bit further - I'd like to give my paintings more levels - not just fruits and things. I've used more soft sticks this time, Unison, Ludwigs and W&N's to make colors sparkle more.

I think I'm getting close to done, might have to work a bit more on details...
So, question is - did I succeed? Are the colors richer? Do the apples read right? And the hardest part, I'd like my stills to make an emotional impact on the viewer, tell a story....that might just be the hardest part to achieve,lol!

Tell me what you think, I'm open to any thought you might have, good or bad! I appreciate all c&c...

Posting to versions, I've cropped of the lowest part in one.

La Carte 15x18", Unisons, Faber Castells (underpainting), Ludwigs, W&Ns, Rembrandts and a few pastel pencils.

[Geoff]

Absolutely stunning.
The story for me is one of two apples using the water in the vase for a diving competition.
Or is it the cat throwing them into the vase ?
I like the way you've used a high eye-level - unusual.

Perhaps just a drop or two of water on the table, though, might just be a finishing touch?

[Terry Wynn]

I love this. The only thing I see - and I am not a still life artist by any means - the ellipsis of the vase bottom is perfect, the rim of the vase is great, but the water in the vase doesn't match - it is higher in the back than at the front of the vase, should this ellipsis not be very close to the bottom one? Now, that is just a question and I'm not sure about it myself so please take with a grain of salt.

I love the effect you have painted. I agree, maybe a couple of drops of water on the counter/table. But just stunning. The apples - WOW!

Terry

[Colorix]

Cravia, wow, you've got the greatest sense for detail! Colours are good. Is there a cat lurking in the reflections, or am I totally misreading the 'eyes' to the left of vase?

Well, you may want to check out the oval created by the surface of the water, it looks to me like it is shifting level right behind the floating apple. And then there is the tricky bit of anchoring the front apple to the surface, I suggest a blur under it, merging it with surface.

It is incredibly well done, pespective perfect. All the interesting stuff that happens keeps the attention for a long time. Apple in water 'fatter' below surface than above, excellent. Tiny apple reflections to right of floater, wonderful. Space, in darkness, and also light from window, which is present in reflection, wonderful path for eye. You really made good use of all that glass and water and light do.

Charlie

[Diana_pastels]

Cravia, stunning as usual. I just love to see your posts. The only thing that catches my eye is the back of the table. The level of the table on the left of the vase is higher than on the right of the vase.
The painting makes me want to study the reflections, to see all that's in there in the peripheral of the painting. Excellent.
Diana

[water girl]

This painting is amazingly clever! There are so many subtleties….reflections, shadows, the dew drops… , yet it is exciting!
Because your work is so precise and beautiful, I wonder if the dew drops on the upper left dark area of the vase might be too aligned with one another. It is distracting because it looks like eyes.
As always, your work is remarkable. I look forward to more!

[Punky2]

Cravia,

Another excellent piece! It certainly tells a good story. I keep looking at the reflection to see what else I can see in there. It looks like the cat has a row of apples ready to toss into the vase.

Just as an idea, maybe the apple can be just entering the water so that the water would be splashing up a little and maybe you could freeze the motion of water droplets flying about.

It's great as it is in any case!

Terri

[mrking]

I love reflections. The glass is nice and crisp.

[David Patterson]

Stunning is right...wonderful work Merethe! I love all the reflections!

[Tracer]

Wonderful painting. Love the detail and the reflections!

Tracy

[pancho]

Super detail and super control of the hand of a genius!

[Mike_Beeman]

Beautiful piece!

[LoreneT]

I think it's well done! To tell the truth I didn't see the cat, but I did feel sorry for the apple floating in the water for some reason. So it did evoke emotion!

[dbjs]

wow Merethe!!! It's beautifull!!!

[just_DaR]

This is gorgeous! I'm attracted by the apple in the right-down area ... waterdrops on it are perfect!!