Following on from last week’s necessity to have a portrait format half imperial sized painting for my Artists Open House exhibition, here’s another effort.
The view is looking towards the market square in the French town of Perigueux in the Dordogne which we visited when on holiday last year.
While I like many aspects of this painting, there’s something about it (or possibly quite a few things about it) that I can’t quite put my finger on, that really niggles me!
I do like the crowd scene as it moves towards the distance (in so much as it looks like a crowd!) and I like other individual elements, such as the looseness of the sunlit building on the left-hand side. All together, however, it just doesn’t quite do it for me, which is a real shame as I’m fast running out of time before I need to get everything framed!
I hope you’ll forgive the brevity of this post but as many of you read this, I’ll hopefully be re-charging my batteries (and my inspiration) in Porto.
Once I’m back, I’ll need to get stuck into the rather repetitive and tedious task of cutting mounts. Only two weeks to go now before the exhibition needs to be up and I’m not even in the right country!
16 thoughts on “Market Day, Perigueux”
I rather like this one, John, although it does look as if they’ve cleared the street in the foreground… Maybe they’d just noticed the Magnificent Seven emerging from the market!
I like that I can always count on you to spot something that no-one else does (or at least they might not mention it)! So glad you spotted Yul Bryner and co! I’ll never be able to see this again without thinking of that! If I do have another go at this, I’ll be sure to add some foreground detritus – and avoid the magnificent seven. Thanks Rob!
Hi, John, I think you nailed the crowd and have a good story going. Like other commenters, I feel like the painting has two distinct halves that are each nice, but aren’t “playing well” with each other. One of the things I like about the crowd scene is the feeling of strong sunlight, which is missing from the buildings in the background. Ruth
Hi Ruth and thanks so much for this. Really appreciate you taking the time to comment and I think you’re quite right with your observations! Plenty of really good and practical advice to take on board if/when I try to take this one on again! (Maybe a little while now as I’ve just got back from Portugal and am full of new ideas and inspiration!) thanks again Ruth
Hi John, I often struywith assessing my own work much less trying to with yours, but just a shot in the dark, I am thinking that the range of the values of the buildings are off, not enough to set them in the right order therefore it doesn’t support your “story” as it should which is I believe is the crowd in front. Anyway just what I discern upon looking at your painting, I might be off myself! Anyway can’t wait to hear how it goes, cheers!
*struggle with…..darn fingers!
Haha, oh I know that feeling!
Hi Margaret and thanks for this, which I think is a bullseye shot in the dark! I think the buildings in the background are a little too warm, which pulls them forwards and mixes up any sense of distance. I’ve also had some other really good comments and observations that, collectively, are making me think that this might be worth another shot! Thanks so much Margaret, I always appreciate your keen eye and wise words!
Oh cool! I always am reluctant to give my view but I saw it immediately and had to share. It is worth a shot and also I really like the composition of your painting, I forgot to mention that. Cheers!
Please never worry about giving your view Margaret – I always appreciate your insight and welcome your opinion. 👍😃
Haha I need to get tough right? Nah, I don’t have it in me to. If it wasn’t for you mentioning that something didn’t seem quite right, I probably wouldn’t have deleved in. 😊 Truthfully I have been a personal philosophy of don’t offer an opinion unless invited.
For what it’s worth, I think what is disruptive is the line off awnings that go horizontally across the page. Above are buildings. Below are people. The awnings divide the painting into two zones. Somehow, the people and buildings are divided rather than united.
Hi Naomi and thanks for this. It’s a really valid and helpful observation. I think what you’ve pointed out, along with some of the other comments give me some really clear things to aim for if I do this again – which I’m feeling quite tempted to do! Thanks so much for helping me out with this, it’s much appreciated!
You are welcome! I love your blog and paintings, so why not? Cheers!
Were there any wires running through the scene? I think a few electrical wires running above the tents would really help.
Hi Sharon and thanks for this. I don’t remember there being any overhead wires, but that doesn’t mean to say there weren’t any (or, with a bit of licence, that there couldn’t be any) and I can see how that type of detailing could really help this composition! Thanks so much for the suggestion, I really appreciate it!