Tuesday, February 3, 2009

February 3, 2009

Sometimes there isn't anything that can be done to fix a work in progress. Many surface designers have experienced the frustration of burning a hole in fabric with bleach. Or the regrettable last printed image that isn't working, but you don't see it until after the paint has dried. Maybe you've tried a creative save under those circumstances, but you never feel really great about it. At least I don't. I would rather turn back the hands of time...

This picture suffers, unfortunately, from design problems that can't be fixed. Ok, maybe in Photoshop, but that's not an option for me. 
Here's why:
The partial body on the right leads the viewer's eyes out of the picture. And a partial human being disrupts the visual comfort zone. Part of anything has to be a deliberate choice; the human eye yearns to complete the form! But it is impossible to crop out the mother without losing part of the daughter, too. And that just won't do.

The little girl's head gets lost against the background of trees beyond the wall, and that's a problem too. If only I'd caught her a few steps away from her mother, and one step down!  A little girl joyfully hopping down the steps - the focal point of the composition without the distraction of the trees, the sky, and the mother. Eliminating the distractions and keeping her close to the middle of the picture would be a great statement on centering and bliss. The picture had potential, but the opportunity was lost. There's something to be said for recognizing that and moving on.

3 comments:

Jackie said...

I agree with the problems of the photo, but it's till fun to hold the picture in my head of her forever in the air! The idea is so delightfully light-hearted, who knows where it might pop up into your work--or mine! Thanks for the smile and the explanation of why it doesn't work well, I always appreciate those. Hope your day is sunny and pleasant.

Fay's Fun said...

Into the "NEARLY" pigeon hole.....

:-[[[[]]

Jennifer said...

I agree with your comment about the little girl's head being somewhat lost in the trees, however, I love the photo and the asymmetry of it. It's life in motion.

November 20, 2008

November 20, 2008

November 20, 2008

How does color set a mood? The soft gray and white of the carpet, the cat Marshall, and the sunlit window contribute to to the sense of calm repose. What does blue mean to you or me? We all have symbolic associations for colors; some based on personal experience and some instilled culturally. 

The cobalt blue of the vase provides a point and counterpoint to the composition, in addition to providing elements that balance.
Keeping the cat in the lower third of the composition weights the image and is another visual door into the picture world.

November 19, 2008

November 19, 2008

November 19, 2008

This picture tells several stories. It references the human desire to order the world around us - the lettering on the wall establishes the alley as a No Parking zone, and the broken glass-  jutting out at the top - is another message of fear and frailty. Whoever lives behind this wall wants to be left alone.

But there is beauty in the contrast of the rough brick surface and the smooth translucency of the broken glass bottles. A contrast of textures makes for an interesting composition. And the abstract nature of the printed letters against the structure of the bricks would be worth emulating in another sort of composition.

There is as much beauty in decay as there is in a bouquet of fresh flowers. And aren't decay and fresh growth just two different spots on the same continuum?



November 18, 2008

November 18, 2008

November 18, 2008

The Hydrangeas offer a lesson in the effective use of color. The pale blue and lavender are roughly the same value, so they balance each other beautifully. I am challenged to mimic that combination of analogous colors on silk Habotai!

This photograph would be considered beautiful even without the red-orange and yellow flowers at the bottom. But the addition of the complements to the blue and purple creates a focal point and generates some nice contrast because of the complementary pairing. And imagine how different this composition would be, were the red-orange and yellow at the top instead of at the bottom. The current placement adds important visual weight.

November 17, 2008

November 17, 2008

November 16, 2008

November 16, 2008
Being and Non-being

Substance and Light

November 16, 2008

We join spokes together in a wheel,
but it is the center hole
that makes the wagon move.

We shape clay into a pot,
but it is the emptiness inside 
that holds whatever we want.

We hammer wood for a house,
but it is the space inside
that holds whatever we want.

We work with being,
but non-being is what we use.

Tao te Ching; Verse 11
Stephen Mitchell translation