More pine cones

For reasons described in an earlier post, I have a thing for pine cones. Readers will also know that I have a similar sort of affection for sea shells, loose feathers and odd rocks.

Here is a larger painting, 30 x 36 inches, oil on Belgian linen. I did this a year ago looking at pine cones and the shadows they cast in the sunlight through a nearby window. I liked the way the pine cones and thier shadows seemed to dance in a line against the sunlight.

The painting is titled, "Bear Mountain Boogie Woogie."

Altered states

I finished this painting last year. Or so I thought. But something didn't look right and over time I grew to realize that I needed to do something with this painting.

I liked the basic composition, the relationship of the three objects and the definition of the space as being bound by a shadow. It took me a long time to realize that what I didn't like were two things: First the edge of the shadow was too hard and crisp. Second, the overall light was too bluish and I wanted to warm it up. These things sound simple now that I've articulated them but they took me a long time to realize.

But once having realized these things, it took less than an hour to make the changes. Now that I've made the changes I feel like the painting is more interesting and 'painterly.'

BTW, the top image is a bit too contrasty and the bottom image is more faithful to the colors and tonality.