"Calming the Waters"
20" x 24"
pastel on Canson Mi-Tientes
This is another one of those slides I found in the studio - mid 1980's painting. I tried photoshopping it - the white ducks came out very bright. Couldn't get them to calm down. There is some nice subtleties in the white, although it doesn't show here.
This one hangs in my parent's office. I love the grey Canson paper. It lends itself so well to animals.
I remember having a discussion with a well-known artist in Denver during a time I was taking it with me to shows. He stated that it was an unbelievable scene. He felt that the waters surrounding the Canadian goose would be more disturbed with the other ducks who are scurrying away. Stated in my 'artist's defense' - I felt that the gliding goose body was big enough to block the disturbance in the water's surface and also that since the other ducks had JUST scurried, the ripples hadn't reached around the front side of the goose. (I put two photos together to paint this one.)
I recall being somewhat perturbed by this discussion at the time.
I paint for myself, although I have been known to paint what I think people will like.
I think any artist gravitates back and forth on that one.
I feel fortunate that I live in a place where
I am free to paint anyway I want and whatever I want, and that rocks my soul.
(and BTW, this painting won an award that summer)
