Artist Spotlite - Susan Satterfield

Ingrid on Thu, 8th Jan 2009 8:49 pm 



Hi Susan,

After painting for two years, I would say that you are learning watercolors very well. Your division of space is very nice in this painting, although I would have run the lower tulip and the first one at the top of the painting, off the page. By having them so close to the edge of your paper, they look crowded. Or, maybe have the lower tulip take a bite out of the pitcher by overlapping in front of the handle.

My question for you is: In what area of your painting do you want us to spend more time looking? In other words, what is your area of interest? When I squint down at your painting, the pitcher clearly steels the show! The yellow and brown lines against the white in the pitcher catch our eye first. By having the background a bit darker in value with touches of some of the other colors used in your painting, it would connect with the other shapes and POP those tulips! The brown table color seems too pure! By adding some of the green into it and graying it down a bit more would help to connect with the other shapes.

The green leaves would look great if they had a bit more variety of color. More value also would separate those leaf shapes. Don’t be afraid to use OTHER colors in the shapes that you are painting over and above their local color. This adds excitement and interest to your painting, and is especially exciting to use in watercolor. For example in your painting, a little of the green in the tulips, especially at the base of the tulip, would add interest. A little of the orange in the first wash when painting the leaves would also add interest. Then, of course, are all of those hints of color that could be added to that white pitcher! Just a thought!

Keep practicing, keep painting! You are your own BEST TEACHER through lots of painting!

Thank you for sharing with us!

Ingrid

Valerie Sasaki on Thu, 8th Jan 2009 9:35 pm 



Your colors are great, and the flowers are beautiful. great work

John on Thu, 8th Jan 2009 11:42 pm 



I agree the leaves need a little more color or maybe hanging down a bit would help. But it still is a very good painting.

Dorothy on Fri, 9th Jan 2009 9:03 am 



keep experimating with color in your work dont resrtict yourself,have fun,i think that you are doing very well with water color in the 2yrs you have been working.

Dorian on Fri, 9th Jan 2009 6:16 pm 



Keep up the good work.

Lynn Marlowe on Sat, 10th Jan 2009 12:49 am 



Sigh, will I ever be this good? I do like it. I also like Ingrid’s critique. She must be a teacher. I feel you found the areas where the light shown brightest on the pitcher but needed some more shading for the entire picture. Very nice.

MJ Chambers on Mon, 12th Jan 2009 4:04 pm 



I think Susan creative talent has been exposed, and she is a natural.

Siani on Mon, 12th Jan 2009 10:13 pm 



Hi Susan,
You are doing well in the two years you have been learning, and I am sure you will find Ingrid’s critique very helpful.

I love your subject of the pitcher and flowers.

Will look forward to seeing more of your work as you progress, thank you for showing and keep up the practice, it is your greatest learning expirence.

Ann on Sat, 28th Mar 2009 1:43 am 



The pitcher is very convincing…. looks real.

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