Friday, December 11, 2009

Goa Series VI - Sunset at Baga creek

sunset at Baga creek - watercolor
The painting is called "sunset at Baga creek" (Pun intended too). This is an extension of the scene in the last painting I posted.

I have started feeling that my paintings are becoming too 'plastic'. They are not capturing any sort of feel. To deal with it lately I have not been looking at the reference while painting. I just use the reference to draw and then paint from impression that I had got from the reference.

But still they are becoming too conformal, too bounded, less free and less expressive. Its becoming more of engineering drawing instead of painting. There is logic going into it, rather than intuition. Its becoming bounded by rules rather than breaking away from it.

11 comments:

Art with Liz said...

I think both these Baga Creek paintings are great, but can understand why and how you are feeling. Your engineering brain is taking over! It's usually just a blip on the landscape and will pass - you are too good not to find your creative brain again.

sreenivasa ram makineedi said...

Nice painting.
I think your painting could have been much more interesting if it had focused on some part like the people sitting or the trees in background or the restaurent bulding or..
Rather than the whole painting.

pc said...

Prabal,
I can see great use of negative painting in this work. The foreground foliage has come out really well !!
Well, I'd say you take a break from the references and paint something totally out of your imagination and keep it loose..you'll get over the current feeling :)

Prabal said...

Liz,
Thank you so much. I hope its a blip.

Sreeni,
Thats a good point. I'll use this suggestion.

PC,
Thanks for the suggestion. I'll try that.

Ajay Patil said...

Your paintings tend to be more representational than impressionist. Watercolors look good with controlled flows and big masses than doing so much of details. technically good paintings but not intresting for me

Ramesh Jhawar said...

HI Prabal! I just got back today and saw your comment! Thanks so much!
Now for your painting.I think you've done a good job!It could get better if you push the colors a little bit and the values of the lights and the darks as well. I think it would work! Do another attempt of the same painting and see if you like the result!
Regards

Prabal said...

Ajay,
You are right. I am getting very representational. Logic takes over when I am doing a painting. And I really do not know how to get rid of it.

Prabal said...

Ramesh,
Thanks for the suggestions. But my main problem is that I am unable to break free from that constrained mindset of reality and really I do not know how to do that too.

Madhu said...

Prabal,

I think you might be reading lot of theory on painting princples/rules over(could be on net). Since we are consious of these while painting, they might become tighter.

You may try not to think of any rules(forget about them), just start painting what you feel, even if it is a failure and you might waste the paper,etc. I do this sometimes and ends up with good painting.

Madhu said...

Prabal,

I think you might be reading lot of theory on painting princples/rules over(could be on net). Since we are consious of these while painting, they might become tighter.

You may try not to think of any rules(forget about them), just start painting what you feel, even if it is a failure and you might waste the paper,etc. I do this sometimes and ends up with good painting.

Prabal said...

Madhu,
Yes that is part of the problem. I just need to forget and let go. Thank you for your suggestion.