New painting

[JonathanS]

Ok, having had some time since the end of classes I decided to get back at painting. This piece has number of inspirations so I figure I may as well tell you about em' so as you can see/understand my thought processes(sp?)

I was thumbing, well clicking, through Jack Turner's War and was struck by the immediacy of many of his photos. Especially of the composite he created of an early Biplane flying in front of Cloth Hall

So I decided I wanted to do something similar - thing is I havn't painted in a while so was unsure of what type of style I wanted to adopt for this piece (I've yet to find my own and so keep trying all sorts of different stuff) The result - mass examination of all types of work - both aviation and non-aviation. I decided I would strive to maintain the spontonaeity of Turner's work, and went back to AY Jackson's war paintings for the Canadian War Art Project in WWI.

here's some examples of his work

http://cybermuse.gallery.ca/cybermus....jsp?mkey=8154
http://cybermuse.gallery.ca/cybermus....jsp?mkey=3962
http://cybermuse.gallery.ca/cybermus....jsp?mkey=8580

And finally, in part being spurred on by AAC Cadet Leader's mention of her pallete knife paintings probably being the bane of the nut and bolt counters, I figured I'd whip out the ol' pallet knife and give it a whirl.

So anyways, I found a few photos of Ypres, created a composite angle and then went to work for the first time in a long while - here's the result - one thing of note, I liked the painting as it is and decided not to add a plane (ironic I realise but I think the piece works as it is - as an aside I was planning on including a BE2c)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6..._S/Ypres_1.jpg

Obviously the proportions of Cloth Hall are a little skewed, but that came as a result of trying to maintiain the spontnaiety of the painting.

Criticism is, as always, welcome

cheers,
Jonathan

[Russell Smith]

first of all, jonathan, i love the feel you've captured with the palette knife. it has a very impressionistic feel to it. from a purely artistic point of view, as it is right now i honestly wouldn't add an aircraft. Reason being is that Cloth Hall is so dominant that an aircraft in the sky would only compete with it. You've got the start of a beautiful landscape here. Let it be just that.

Here are the three things i would like to see different:
1. I would like to see is some more development of the sky - maybe some more clouds or something. i wouldn't make them big, puffy, bright white cumulus clouds mind you, but something to give the sky a sense of depth.

2. Same goes for the beige (ochre) area on the ground. maybe just a tad more texture there to give it interest. not much, though. don't over do it.

3. the long straight line that forms the left edge of the tower seeems a bit out of place to me. its the only long straight line you have in the painting. i would perhaps alter the line slightly like you did on the right.

overall, though, i think it is really a nice piece. well done

Russ

[wingstrutdotcom]

Jonathan I like the style.

Your painting and idea of including a BE2 reminded me of a photo I obtained a year ago showing a BE flying over a damaged windmill. The photo is stamped on the back as an original print copy released from the newservice photographer. A somewhat dramatic photo showing the BE coming right over the mill.

If you ever consider adding in the BE consider the dramatic angle of this photo as I think a BE coming in over the Hall at the viewer of your painting would be very dramatic. The photo is too large to show on the forum but I have photo on my site with the link below:

BE2 Photo

Now that I look at it again there is not enough room on canvas to do the plane over the hall. Well, if you do a second version consider a canvas with more height dimension.







http://www.wingstrut.com/photos/Be2c.jpg

[EricGoedkoop]

I love it, Jonathan - just the way it is. It's got depth and an interesting emotional quality to it. The "skewed porportions" do not detract from the piece for me; they add to it. What you've painted is not - nor was it intended to be, I think - strictly representational, but rather more of a memory, the impression the scene would have made on someone who was there. Munch did the same thing in "The Sick Room" when he put the shadows of his own eyelashes into the painting. The piece was based on an actual event but was as much a record of his experience and emotions as a spectator as it was a recording of the scene. If I had been at Ypres, I doubt the perspective lines of the buildings would all be where they should in my memory. The effect is not obvious at first glance, but it's powerful stuff if you give it a chance to work on you a little bit.

I would disagree with Russell about the left side of the tower. I like it. It's puncuation of a sort and it adds a little visual tension. I think war art should have a little uneasiness about it - these aren't things to look at because they're pretty.

Excellent job! Thanks for sharing it.

Eric

[AAC Cadet Leader]

Johnathan,
I dig your palette knife painting! And I am proud to have had some impetus of influence for you. You, as well originally inspired me to bet busy with my brushes, and I started a gouache portrait of Cole Palen standing next to his Nieuport 10. I'm doing it from a slide I took of him in 1988. I asked him to pose for me by any of his aeroplanes and that was the one he chose. He put his hand against the fuselage near the skull and candles in the heart. A really cool photo of him. Hope my painting will do him justice.

You have again inspired me again to get back to what I started and hopefully finish it so I can post the results here.

BTW, my son wants to see an aeroplane flying through one of the holes in the Cloth Hall tower!

[JonathanS]

thanks for the comments guys, every little bit helps

Russell - Artistically I agree with you about the 'harsh' line on the left of cloth hall, the only thing is that from that angle the hall remained relatively undamaged so the line sort of has to stay that way - unless of course I were to take some artistic liberties - something that should never be ruled out. As to the detail level, again I tend to agree, although having looked at my link again I feel the photo does not do what detail there is there justice - so I'll post some detail shots

Wingstrut - funny, great minds must think alike - as I was thinking of a very similar angle to the one you posted only with the BE banking towards the Cloth Hall rather than away from it.

EricGoedkoop - "What you've painted is not - nor was it intended to be, I think - strictly representational, but rather more of a memory, the impression the scene would have made on someone who was there." Yes, Eric I would say that about sums up what I was trying to achieve, although like I mentioned in my response to Russell, the strong line on the left is somewhat necessary without the introduction of artistic liberties. If I ever get enough work compile to put on a little show I think I will use something similar to your descriptio of my piece

[JonathanS]

I'd hate to have you guys pouting, so thanks for the compliments

Let your son know that it wouldn't be too hard to have a plane flying through one of the holes. Actually, now that I think about it, from one angle the top part of the Hall is wide open like a big U - you could easily work in a little pup or nieuport banking through the middle

Keep at that Cole Palen piece - considering the content you could post it here and in the Cole Palen's Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome thread.

cheers,
Jonathan

[AAC Cadet Leader]

Keep at that Cole Palen piece - considering the content you could post it here and in the Cole Palen's Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome thread.

That's a plan, Stan!

[wingstrutdotcom]

Add that BE banking....

Another thought, troops and horses making their way on a winding path from foreground left, up and to center past the tower.

I too, like the impressionistic style using the knife.

[Barker]

Originally Posted by JonathanS

thanks for the comments guys, every little bit helps

Thompson - Gang Of Seven.

Do th' thang, Johnny.