Paris Rains

Paris Rain, 30x20, oil on linen

Here is a painting I did about 5-6 years ago. I was so very pleased with it at the time and proudly hung it in my home. It was done in the master painting class I took with Kevin Weckbach and it was the piece I did for the month we studied Dark/light pattern. In my quest to make improvements on existing 'finished' art works, I started to study this piece. Why had it never sold? Was it the subject? Or the way it was handled? Composition seems good to me. There were a few small things that I thought could be improved upon but overall I was still pleased. BUT. Once I got started working on it so much started to pop out. Drawing being premier. Just some subtle things but which I think make a difference.

The bus at a wrong angle on the backend; a few angles here and there on the umbrella's; I added some  tiny features to the figures faces. I don't like faceless humans and though there was a hint at features in the faces, I put a bit more character into them; a bit more shape was added to the clothing: The woman's raincoat was lightened and given more form, the man in the middle now has a pocket on his jacket with his left hand now in a pocket; and the man in the red umbrella lost a little weight and has a brighter blue jacket on, which brings him out from the woman behind him. I darkened the pavement (although in the image it doesn't quite show up as the paint is still wet) and made the crosswalk a bit more distinct. My daughter's comment was "It looks so much lighter." And yet I had darkened more down than added more light. An interesting paradox.

I had pulled this painting out to update it prior to Notre Dame burning but the spire is in this painting. So weird to contemplate that it is now gone. Let us pray that when the repairs and rebuilding are done that they have enough common sense to rebuild as it was and not some horrific idea of 'improving' upon it. Our culture seems to have a huge ego and superiority complex, especially when it comes to history.

A Rainy Day in Paris, 30x20, oil on canvas, circa 2014 or 15