Composition

Carrying on from the last post, here is a short update with a few more variations on the landscape print:

It was fun and enlightening to easily move components and then stand back and evaluate. That last one, above, doesn't work for me. Pushing the tree out of the picture makes it too dominant and heavy-looking. Perhaps it might be balanced by moving the moon to the left... There are endless possibilities in just this one little image.

Composition is basically the arrangement of visual elements. And there are lots of "rules" such as to put the focal point somewhere other than dead center and odd numbers of objects are more interesting than even numbers. But these rules are really more guidelines and I'm enjoying "bending" the odd numbers rule.

Three objects, especially in small works, has become so routine and expected I'm finding working with two objects gives me a fresh and energizing perspective. And there is something about pairs that speaks to me.

The following are just quick and rough studies made with scraps on my worktable. The first one is a trace monotype (drawing on the backside of an inked piece of wax paper) over some tissue collage.

In the next one I've added small diecut foliage cut from black card to see the effect of an overprint of a linocut. Before I go to the trouble of carving a block I can get an idea if it will be a technique worth exploring. I think the composition is a bit better in this second example -- with the one tulip tucked in behind it creates a variation in size. That's a new "rule" I recently came across -- twos are okay but they shouldn't be the same. Although I'm drawn to the graphic quality of almost identical objects.

Remember those Wonky Pears from awhile back? This one, in particular, ended up higher than I would have liked. It was the levitating pear!

I reworked the background to put in a horizon and now I'm thinking the pear looks more grounded. Perhaps it's sitting on a table...

Possibly I should have left it alone at this point but I narrowed the edge with gesso and got this:

Still looks like it's floating! Will play around "fixing it" until I wreck it! Seems I have to go too far to learn how far is enough. Guess that's why art is endlessly interesting and compelling! See you in the next post.