This unfinished oil painting, entitled "Roses and Apples" , was mainly an attempt to study colors and values. It was fun to play with hues and their complements under a warm light source. Even in its present state (done ala prima in 2011), it was enough to attract a collector who admonished me "not to touch it". (I still feel the urge to bring it more finish and have held the collector at bay, by mentioning it needs my signature before I part with it!) The painting represents a few hours work -- not including the two-hour set-up time-- and succeeds, I think, in the intention of it being a study. Bringing "finish" to a study does seem somewhat of an oxymoron. Perhaps the best that can be done with a study is to make it more "presentable" as a painting if it is intended for exhibit.
This "unfinished" oil is of more recent vintage and had as its object the study of the same observable factors; namely hue, value, and complementary colors under a warm light source. In addition, I wanted to weave into the chroma and shadows the dimension of expression , still keeping the forms recognizable. I think both paintings use light, spatial arrangement, patterns of light and shadows as well as chroma to express mood. The mood in the earlier painting seems to be lighter, airier; whereas the mood in the more recent study perhaps seems deeper, more intense, without any note of pessimism. Keeping the shadows on the tablecloth transparent, airy, I think, helps. Note: I put my signature (lower right) on this one, although I would like to finish it a little more before bringing it to a "serious" exhibit. The goal is to bring greater depth of expression to painting without becoming an abstract expressionist.
As far as "finish" goes for any painting, we can say a painting is finished (to the painter) if it achieves the aim of the painter. But anyone outside the painter-- say the collector, the art loving public, the non-family viewer--can help stop the disease of "over-finish". I'm waiting for the vaccine!
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