Artist Spotlite: Tammy Morgan

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Artist: Tammy Morgan

Title: Serenity

Dimensions: 16 x 18

Medium: Acrylic on Canvas

Tammy’s Comment on Her Painting: “It would be my favorite place to be.”

Please leave any comments, critiques or words of encouragement in the comments box below. Thank You!

Tags: artist spotlight, Artist Spotlite

Comments

31 Comments on "Artist Spotlite: Tammy Morgan"

Ginger on Fri, 25th Jul 2008 4:12 pm

Love it! Love the colors and the flow… it really reminds me of where I grew up.

Ricardo J. Fenelon on Fri, 25th Jul 2008 4:34 pm

Tres jolie painture. J’adore la nature..

Terry on Fri, 25th Jul 2008 5:51 pm

I like the way you did the trees. Especially the ones that are dead. The branches on them come out at different sides of the tree, and that makes themlook more realistic.

Wayne Cooper on Fri, 25th Jul 2008 5:53 pm

I’m an ABSOLUTE novice painter so please don’t take to heart too much what I say.
Overall the composition is very good however I find that the ‘focus’ is too much on the 2 dead trees on the left.
As well they are both not ’settled’ in the ground too well and both are lined up and both have a tree behind them and of the same height which seems to detract from them.
The mountains are EXCELLENT with only 1 tiny inperfection to my eye and that is the furthest back mountain should be much lighter than the one in front simply because of the distance.
I think the painting shows an excellent understanding of composition and colour and needs only to be ‘fine-tuned.
Thanks for showing us your art…I look forward to seeing more.

Pamela on Fri, 25th Jul 2008 6:19 pm

I love this painting. You really did a good job on the trees and mountains. The only thing I would do is add a couple more highlights in the water and not have such a straight edge of grass by the water. Usually grass especially in the wilderness is at various lengths.

Marsha on Fri, 25th Jul 2008 6:49 pm

This is a peaceful scene with the movement of the water carrying the eye across the painting. I like the two dead trees very much – the lighter green trees behind the dead ones need to be moved to one side or the other so they are not lined up directly behind the dead trees. That would help with the perspective and would create movement on that side, too.

Keep up the good work. I, too, am looking forward to seeing more of your paintings.

Malc in Spain on Fri, 25th Jul 2008 7:12 pm

I am not an artist – Just a copier of other artists I have no desire to be other than that, and that in itself is immensley rewarding.

However I like the two dead trees.

Like silent fingers pointing to all of nature in its splendid beauty – that also once surrounded them whe alive and vibrant – and a part of that world.

Now they point forlornly at a world they too helped to beautify. a sad silent position of solitude. Age before beauty.

Malc in Spain.

june Smith on Fri, 25th Jul 2008 7:24 pm

Tammy – I love the overall feeling of peace in your painting
I am not being critical but I noticed with your water – you and I are doing the same thing and I don’t know how to correct that – maybe someone reading this can forward a suggestion on
– blending the water to take the stiffness away – the lines are good but how does one get the motion flow more fluid looking ie rippling – maybe that is not what you are looking for but it sure would help me
June Smith
thank you for submitting your painting

Shakeh on Fri, 25th Jul 2008 7:39 pm

Lovely nature work,beautiful composition and style.

carolyn Bishop on Fri, 25th Jul 2008 7:47 pm

Lovely abstraction of a beautiful scene!

carolyn Bishop on Fri, 25th Jul 2008 7:47 pm

What a lovely abstraction of a beautiful scene!

Ingrid on Fri, 25th Jul 2008 7:52 pm

Overall, this painting has some very nice shapes and it evokes a feeling of peace. I agree with the comments stated above and would add that we, as artists, should also be designers. Nature doesn’t always create “perfect” paintings.
Another suggestion would be to lose some of those hard edges along the water’s edge, in the farthest mountain, and within the central light green grassy area. Also, the two evergreen trees located in the central area of the painting, sandwiched in between the light green grassy areas, might be closer together with maybe another little shape added to them, to eliminate the “even” negative spaces of the light green behind the trees. By adjusting the height of these trees, one being higher (taking a bite out of the white mountain area), and the other being lower and closer to the higher tree, with maybe an additional bush or tree shape close to these two trees, it would give this area a little more interest, being in such a prominent position in the painting.
The three little tree tops along the right side of the painting could also be adjusted in their shapes and height to give more of a variety.
The bright orange/red shape at the left of the painting, along with the orange tree at the right side of the painting seem to pull the eye to each side of the painting. Maybe a little less vibrant in these colors at this placement, or create some shapes with this color nearer to the light yellow green area of the painting. This would serve as complimentary accent and would create a stronger focal area.
I can definitely see why this would be “her favorite place to be”, as she did a fabulous job creating that overall peaceful serene feeling. These are just a few little minor adjustments to make on a solid strong foundation.
Great job! I am looking forward to seeing more of her work!

Honor on Fri, 25th Jul 2008 8:35 pm

Overall the composition is good. I agree with many of the comments especially about artists being designers… I need to pay particular attention to being too symmetrical and to forgetting to symplify. I agree, the scene does evoke a feeling of serenity. Nice job.

Kay on Fri, 25th Jul 2008 9:30 pm

I love nature scenes. I am semi-retired and hope to learn a lot about painting nature one this website. I love this combination of mountains, streams, fields, and trees. It’s beautiful.

Susan Dickens on Fri, 25th Jul 2008 9:55 pm

I really like the simplicity. Nothing to think about but the enjoyment. I would have only put the stream in the ground instead on top as the only change.
Keep it up!

Wayne Cooper on Sat, 26th Jul 2008 12:38 am

I see the above commenter Alan hasn’t got the courage to show his own website and/or pictures.
His comments seem to be intended NOT to instruct or ENLIGHTEN but rather to hurt……don’t take comments from people who aren’t willing to show their faces to heart.
Your work looks fine and if you enjoy doing it, then it is worth it.
Cheers from Canada north

Ingrid on Sat, 26th Jul 2008 5:10 am

I must agree with Wayne about Alan’s hurtful comments. As the 13th Dalai Lama said, “Be kind whenever possible. It is ALWAYS possible.”

Constructive help in a POSITIVE manner would go much farther to “help” in this discussion. One can be HONEST in a POSITIVE way, not in a negative one.

Joy in Australia on Sat, 26th Jul 2008 5:11 am

A very nice painting…..lovely greens which I find difficult to mix..but I will get there…….A very lovely landscape…congratulations

Cindi Picou on Sat, 26th Jul 2008 3:22 pm

I feel the cool air around me and hear the water running past….very nice feeling you have created. I agree with june smith about the water and I, too, would love to hear some ideas on how to make it flow better. overall, this is a very good representation of the feeling of the place.

Joanie on Sat, 26th Jul 2008 5:30 pm

I have tried using acrylics a few times and find them difficult, so it is thrilling to see what you have done with the medium in this painting. I feel ‘peace’ in this piece … a gift of your inner self. Thank-you and Congratulations ! Keep it up !

Nick on Sat, 26th Jul 2008 5:57 pm

Tammy,
Your style of painting is impressive. Don’t let Alan discourage you.

Janis on Sun, 27th Jul 2008 11:35 am

Very nice!
Only suggestions are: try having more white water coming down the falls and maybe a couple of rocks in the water with white water pouring around them. As the light green grass on the bank gets further away, the shading should be more narrow to create that depth. And a few more details in the grass in the foreground and it will make me want to climb right in the painting and take a nap in the breeze.

Mary Ann on Sun, 27th Jul 2008 4:40 pm

very peacefull and well done,the more we paint the better we get,looking forward to more

Tammy on Tue, 29th Jul 2008 3:36 am

I will admit that what Alan said hit hard, but I am an amateur! Thank you for all of your kind words of encouragement and “constructive” criticism. Alan is right in the fact you have to develop a thick skin if you ever want to make it though. I have only been painting for a little over 7 months. I would welcome ANY tips on water or whatever!

Ingrid on Tue, 29th Jul 2008 5:02 pm

Hi Tammy,

Last week I had posted some ideas I had about painting water and they accidentally were deleted, so I will post them again.

I always try to think of what I am painting as SHAPES, whatever the subject matter may be. When you look at the water SHAPE, squint down through a very narrow slit of your eyes, and this action will cause the shapes of the water to POP out. You will be able to see them for what they are. Use this as you are looking at the source on location, from your reference material, and/or on your own painting as you are working. Some of these shapes will be broken edges, soft edges, lost edges, and hard edges. This act of squinting also allows you to see the values in these shapes, some light, medium and dark.

Another thing to take into consideration is that the color of the banks near the water, the sky, the trees, will have their local color reflected in the water. By adding this color to the water you also help to connect the water with the rest of the painting.

The edges of the grass (shape) along the water’s edge would connect the painting better if this shape would “take a bite” out of the water’s edge periodically along the bank. This can be done by varying the length of the grasses as Pamela stated above. Along with this, add the reflections of the bank into the water to anchor the water shape into the painting.

Within the water itself, look for the variety of those shapes you see, with light, medium, and dark values, some broken, some hard, some soft, and some lost shapes, and incorporate all of these edges and shapes within the water to create a variety.

However, if you are going to approach your painting style as more of an abstract “flat” style, with flat distorted shapes of what you see, then all of what I have said you can throw out the window! Then you must paint the entire painting with flat, distorted shapes of color, not just one section of your painting!

I hope these comments can shed some light on this subject for you.

All I can say is that if my “early Ingrid’s” looked half as good as your “early Tammy’s” do now, I would have been THRILLED! You have a great attitude and much courage to post your paintings, having only been painting for such a short time. Keep up the good work and continue to practice, practice, practice. I am looking forward to seeing much more of your work!

Robert Henri (1865 – 1929) said, “A work of art is not a copy of things. It is inspired by nature but must not be a copying of the surface.” Look for WHAT inspires you about what you want to paint, and emphasize that in your painting in order to create your own unique work!

All the BEST to you!

Ingrid

susan on Tue, 29th Jul 2008 11:17 pm

I like the simplicity of the scene. Perspective will come with practice. Try doing a truck load of sketches. That helped me much. I have only been painting for a couple of years and I can see a huge difference in my work. You will never satisfy everyone no matter what you do in life. I had one painting of a waterfall that one person said they liked my rocks but not the water and another person say they loved my water but my rocks were terrible. Don’t take anything personally. Just enjoy what you do.

Valerie Sasaki on Wed, 30th Jul 2008 7:14 am

Hi Tammy,
I love your use of color, the peaceful setting, and your great attitude. You’ve only been painting a few months, and you show a love for what you do. We never stop learning , for that I am grateful. You seem to have a great start. Don’t give up. You have a Artist’s heart.

David on Wed, 30th Jul 2008 7:42 am

If I may add a suggestion for working with acrylic, working in layers is useful to obtaining the effect you could be looking for especially with water, rivers etc.

Pat on Wed, 30th Jul 2008 9:05 am

Tammy,

I just love your painting. I think the colors of the trees are wonderful, very realistic. The Mountians are also very beautiful. Keep up the good work. I would love to see some more of your paintings.

Patricia

Richard Walker on Wed, 30th Jul 2008 6:13 pm

Tammy, you have great artistic talent. You be your own “artist” and paint what you feel. You have much intuitive talent in that the eye is led around the painting by the use of your compostion and colors. Do not look for more instruction than you require, as that may well add confusion to your endeavors. Keep on painting using the basics and your own intuitions. Keep up the good work, and always remember, “you are the artist”……..paint what YOU feel about the any subject.

Gordana on Sat, 21st Feb 2009 6:09 pm