Ok Critique This

image moved thanks Marlene. Don't know why I didn't think of that!

Not a mystery to me. Leaves on a branch.

I can see this selling well for generic decorating needs.

David, please put it up top or the image will get lost.....
I especially am impressed wiht the strong diagonal, balanced off by opposing diagonal lines in the otherdirection, ever so subtle.
Beautifully pleasing color palette...kudos on limiting it.

Greetings David, as I was reviewing the discussions I happened upon yours. This is a very stunning and beautiful piece of work! The vivid colors and movement has so much eye appeal. You nailed it! Great title also!!!!

Cheers, Michael Hoard Actor, Artist and Photographer

I like it a lot, David. I like the diagonal movement and the wonderful pastel colors. The only thing that bothers me a little is the negative space at the bottom left. I would like to see that blue tone, that looks like a shadow, extended down a little farther maybe.

In general, I really like it very much.

Compositionally, it is very strong, because it has a simple, well-placed focal point.

Color wise, it tends to have universal appeal, as blue is the favorite color of many people (including moi).

Subject wise, it also tends to have a universal appeal, because (as someone already wrote) it is NOT a mystery - it is from nature, and almost everybody likes nature.

Even though the subject IS nature, it is NOT an expected treatment of the subject, because of how you have manipulated the colors.

The diagonal is strong and simple, from top left to bottom right, which I feel is a dominant preference of many people too (same diagonal as my green-head avatar).

CONCLUSION: It's good, and I like it.

I tried Marlene . There is a glitch. First time I used to large of an image. Now it won't let me do a small one.

I don't critique but I like this piece...for some reason it makes me think of the past and future with the present being the green...but don't ask me why. I think it is beautiful in its colors and rather minimalist yet complicated style.

copy and paste from the image page then enlarge it in the code....

David L,

It looks like a distortion of a child in a pool. I can see an eye where it all intersects.

I like it. How would you market it? Mystery seems one way of getting people to look at it many times over.

Dave

Marlene,

I think he did that, but at far too large a change in the coded pixels.

Dave

I like it.

I don't know what you started with, but what I see now: In the dark blue, I see a person sleeping, face down, with arm bent up near the head, elbow, gentle curve where the spine would be... Above that is an unfolding dream.

The composition works well, the eye travels along the more saturated areas and isn't tempted to wander off the image. I think the color palette lends itself to the gentle nature of the image.

I looks like your shirt;)

I like "It's A Mystery" a lot, David. The colors and composition are both strong. I especially like how you've given organic shapes a crystal quality. The little glows, lines and halos in the top half are wonderful. Minimal can be a real challenge, but you've nailed this.


Dan Turner
Dan Turner's Seven Keys to Selling Art Online

Am I the only person here who sees this as a macro shot of a flower stem and buds (looking upward from base of plant to top of plant at an angle), digitally transformed into a colorful remake of reality?

since I am showing my bizarre side I couldn't resist this

I assure you no macro shot

.. and this looks like a rose redone digitally, ... NOT as successfully as the first you showed, I'm afraid, because the colors here are a bit too blown out (saturation wise) with respect to one another. The blend is not as good as the first one - not the sense of subtle transparent overlays of layers that I see in the first one. Also, it's a bull's eye composition (i.e., smack dab in the center), which stops your eyes cold and gives them no place to explore rhythmically. That purple/blue is just too thick - can you thin it out a bit and get some transparency in there? -- I see ghosts of this already, but it cannot shine through, as is.

Good to know about NO macro. Thanks for the confirming info to crumble my theory. That makes it even more interesting somehow.

David,

At first, I saw a refreshingly clean, crystalline image.

But the more I studied it the more, as Cynthia, I saw human imagery, throughout the piece.

To the point,that I now see quite clearly a" Christ like" figure in the lower right, (the stem of this crystalline image)

I think that you have a winner with the first. I see a mermaid swimming extremely quick leaving a water vortex like trail behind her. I also think the fact that there are so many diverse interpretations that it would make it a good seller.

Overall I like. Saw the person. Saw the leaf and branch. Love the pastel colors and feel; but, debating the greeness of the leaf. Is it the vividness contrasted with the pastel that is needed to make the piece work?

I have zero qualification to critique anything. Having said that, here goes.

I like the coolness of the colors and find it soothing. The way your eye is lead into the piece is also very pleasing. The contrast between the blue and green holds the interest and conveys a light tension.

I didn't read everyone's comments but saw that some have said that after they look at it awhile they see more shapes that are intriguing. (my paraphrase) My take on that is that the piece sparks imagination.

In short, I like it.

Well that was interesting !Thanks for the thoughts people. I was pleasantly surprised!

Can someone tell me how you make an image that large when posting in the forums?

Diane, you change the numbers in the link to proportionally larger numbers. E.g., 250 wide x 300 tall becomes 500 wide x 600 tall. be warned that going large can cause slow loading on a page with a lot of images.

Thanks Cynthia! Not saying I'll do it but I was just curious :)

It looks great, but all I see is a green leafy shape and I just want to stare at that the entire time.

David L.

You are making a big mistake calling this your bizarre side.

What are you doing differently than what you generally put up for sale?

I can tell you.

You are working the negative space differently. And just my opinion much much better.

You go from a cluttered look in your online gallery to an organized introspective look.

Your better work in my opinion you are keeping to yourself. Why?

Dave

I just love the first image !! I would think an interior decorator would be able to put it to good use.

I like the second image also but not as much.

"This type of work I don't usually let people see."

Why?

It looks like a glass claw. Cool and groovy. :-)

Why am I keeping stuff like this to my self. I guess it's because I am insecure about the stuff that strikes the deepest chords in me. My work is very feminine, or so I have been told, and people act surprised when they find out it's been done by a old codger like me so maybe it's a male socialization thing. When it comes down to it I don't actually think much of my stuff, but I like the feeling of approval and belonging I get from people who do like it. It's kind of a bipolar thing. On one hand I want my art to evoke a response, good or bad, in people and on the other I want my stuff hidden because it might reveal the inner me.

Oh well enough drivel. Here is todays production so far

Okay, FLORAL EXPRESSIONS 022615 is better than the second one you showed here, but not as good as the first. Again, I want to see the same sort of interplay with transparencies that I see in the first one. Here the purple near center seems too thick. The saturation seems right, but the transparency element that so shines in the first image still is not here.

... still critiquing.

David L,

I like all these pieces far better than the cluttered look.

Negative space, it sells art. Particularly with what you are now doing here.

Find like minded collectors over 35 who will pay rather than try to do it. And skip older
people over 55 who have all the wall decorations they would want. That is the market
for all of us in the main.

I really like this work. Negative space. It brings power to the work. Visual clues become important.

Dave

haha i was totally expecting to open this and see a picture of a middle finger. The first one looks like water being poured out of something. Beautiful coloring

Whatever it is David I like it. Its like something that came out of the skies.