Saturday, June 29, 2013

Instead of Bonnard, I got patriotic



Inside and Outside by Polly Jones

I've been fiddling with this painting since I got it back after the April art show.  The more I looked at it, the more disenchanted I became.  It just didn't give the sensation of being thrown into another world by staring into the glass pitcher. I just finished a novel by Louise Erdrich, Shadow Tag, in which the characters argued about paintings by Bonnard.  This  reminded me how much I love love love his work...and so I copied a striped tablecloth from one of his paintings.  Still didn't satisfy.  Then I remembered The Red-checkered Tablecloth which I saw in all it's glory at the Musee d'Orsay several years ago.  The problem is, my version looks so red white and blue patriotic.  It's interesting that combinations of colors can have such specific associations. I do think it looks better in person where up close you can see the layers and the texture and all the other colors besides red, white and blue.  I'm letting it sit a while before it decides if it's finished.  These paintings seem to have a mind of their own.

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