Vibrant Solitude by Jacqueline Erasmus

Photo © Jacqueline Erasmus

"Vibrant Solitude" by Jacqueline Erasmus. 12x9" (30x23cm).

From the Artist: After recently finding my inspiration, I'm finally picking up my brushes again. It's been many years and to be honest I'm just trying to get something done -- this was the only flower in the garden of my new house. It's quite a plain flower but so I tried to make the setup a bit more vibrant. I'm quite happy with what I've managed, played about with a few techniques and brushes.

From the Painting Guide: Maybe it's a good sign that your new garden gave you a flower just when you needed it? And by there being only one, it meant you didn't have to choose, that decision was already made for you, which freed you up decide how you were going to set it up and focus on painting it.

Things to Consider When Looking at This Painting:
Composition: I like the contrast between the strong diagonal line of the pink, the vertical lines of the container, and all the curves in the background and flower itself. It creates a calm foreground to counter the busy background.

Initially I wondered whether the flower stood out enough in the composition, whether the background overwhelmed it too much. But as I've looked at the painting, I've increasingly come to like it, to enjoy the way the flower emerges from the background.

Highlights: To my eye the red container needs more of a highlight on it to give it more of a 3D feel. At the moment it looks a little flat to me. Also take another look at the tone of the back edge, which I think wants to be lighter than the front.