Last weekend, I had the privilege of participating in a virtual Wet Paint competition hosted by Oil Painters of America. The night before painting was to begin, OPA was also broadcasting a live awards ceremony from a previous exhibition of select works from the western regional artists. So, as I set up my still life to begin painting the next day, I listened in as the judge handed out awards which ended up becoming a critique of each painting. (Listening to a critique is incredibly helpful even if the work being talked about is not yours.)
While she spoke, two things grabbed a hold of me and I immediately began making changes to my setup.
Creating Depth
She talked about several paintings that had elements that were not noticeable during a quick viewing and how she enjoyed being rewarded for wandering around the painting longer and finding these gems. Before hearing this I was really agonizing over whether or not the key and feather AND nest was too much. But now, I decided that they would be those little rewards the viewer would receive after looking a little longer. To keep these extra items from cluttering the painting, it was important that I keep them subtle and as supporting roles in the painting.
Creating Story
It was also appreciated when a painting had something more to it - a backstory, a reason or a connection to the viewer. At this point I decided to roll up that note, tie it off with a red ribbon and place it into the bottle. It was subtle enough to become one of those rewards, but also gave something left to the imagination. It wasn’t until the last few minutes that I decided these objects belonged to a marooned sailor making the most of his solitude but still hoping for rescue, hence the note.
I’m so thankful for what I’ve already gleaned from my first two weeks as an OPA member and I’m so grateful for the emphasis on continued improvement to art technique and more.