When I began this painting, I wanted to do a blocky, abstracted cityscape that was loose and carefree. I can still picture it in my head. Yet I couldn't put down the small brushes and what I ended up with is something entirely different. It's frustrating to not be capable of pulling off one's own vision. The biggest challenge for me was to capture color in the shadows of the buildings. I wanted a colorful scene, but to read correctly, the sides in shadow had to be darker. I would start to get mud if I wasn't careful. I see paintings all the time that use color in shadows that read perfectly, without loosing the fact they are shadows. That is one of my goals. Good shadows. The more you study shadows, the more you realize they can be very complex. and can add unexpected vibrancy to a painting when done correctly. Also, I would have loved a more dramatic sky. Some billowy clouds to offset the busyness of the buildings. I'm not experienced in cloud painting, and after working so tirelessly on the buildings, I just didn't have it in me because it's a large one, 40x30. When I look at the painting, I'm dissatisfied because it didn't meet my expectations. It's funny how the brush and the left brain can take over. I'll get that abstracted look one day. Thanks for looking.
