Stan Kurth, my instructor from the workshop I took in February, said something that I keep pondering. He said that people like a painting with some mystery. If the meaning of a painting is clear, we lose interest and move on, same as we would with a novel or movie. Of course, there are other elements that make a painting intriguing, but I notice as I look at art, that there is a lot of truth to his observation about mystery. Accordingly, I have been working to make things a bit more puzzling in my sketches.
I painted the figure above this morning at a live sketching session, and then this evening made an effort to add mystery by adding a background that I think does not match where a well-dressed woman is likely to be. I, at least, wonder why she is sitting in a room that seems to be under construction, and why she is all dressed up but alone.
This is a gouache and casein painting.
Deliberate Sketching 
I like it, Sarah! She looks as if she is a bit uncomfortable, maybe SHE feels she doesn’t quite belong there either!
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I think you are right, Hilda, thank you for the observation!
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You’re welcome! Looks like you are onto something with this idea of adding more mystery!
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I hope so! Back to your comment about how the might woman feel, it reminds me that thinking about her possible feelings is a great way to consider options for the painting.
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SOOO many wonderful parts to this intreguing piece! The many, many shapes!!! Such a collection of them. Love how her foot goes off the page, love the strong diagonal in upper right, with window cut off by it. It leads the eye to the woman, every shape connected – and your values are FABULOUS. Such a harmonious painting with suggestion of ACTION (based upon diagonal mentioned and the shapes of her arms and legs.) LOVE.
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Sheila, thank you. The geometry of it is fun, I am getting a bit clearer about how and where I should put the shapes. I had to restrain myself from outlining the shapes of the window and diagonals- more mystery after all!
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Fabulous result!
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Thanks!
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Why did I think Modigliani? 🙂
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