Alaskan Artist - Elise Tomlinson

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03/20/2005: "Triage"

Well, it's getting down to the wire. My friend Rick will be here on Thursday and then we're leaving for Anchorage to see my sister and her husband for the Easter weekend so I'm quickly running out of time to finish this show.

I have a link to my Works In Progress gallery as a permanent link on the left. I was hoping you all could take a stab at ranking them from Most to least successful again...That was *incredibly* helpful last time. For example...3,4,9,7,5,1,8,2...though I just randomly selected those number but you get the drift.

You don't have to be an "artist" or anything either, any feedback at all would be greatly appreciated. In fact, if there is a piece that you think basically works but one thing about it irritates you...I'd *love* to hear it. It is probably something I've been feeling as well but having confirmation would be motiviation to fix it.

I basically need to consentrate my efforts on the weakest pieces at this point and quick dinking around with the ones that are already ok.

Thanks in advance and if any of you need an extra set of eyes just let me know! I owe you all...

Replies: 13 Comments

on Monday, March 21st, subi said

1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 3

i think the portraits and landscapes should be rated separately ...but that said i think in this case, the portraits (with their landscapes as well) are much stronger...

the top-rated 3 were difficult to order, but 1 was 1 before i started the list, 2 & 4 go back & forth, but ultimately 2's landscape & characters won. okay, i like 5 as well... had 6 been a bit different i might have placed it higher, as it is has the most striking background scenery, i venture to say, of all & while i really like the womans face and hair the rest of her seems odd, more correctly her hands seem odd... what about putting white elbow-length gloves on her? just a thought she has a very turn of the century decadent look about her, timeless, which i love...and the backdrop is beautiful... different hands and she'd be numero uno! 3 reminds me of courtney love! the hairstyle...:hehe: the umbrella seems very problematic tho.... where/what is it adhered to? i liked the hand holding it...which i thought was very surreal...w/o that arm, i'd lose the umbrella.

compared to the predecesors, the last 3 seem rather flat...is there anyway to get the depth of say the scenery 2 & 6 have? it's hard not to look at them this way without seeing the 'whole' work.... but i think that's what a show or collection must strive for, right? just my ever humble opinion... i so wish i could be their for the show!!!! please take lot's of pics!!!! will rick be there for your show? if so i am sooo jealous :cry: okay, now i am interested to see what other's have said!!! : :O

on Monday, March 21st, joan said

I too would rank the landscapes and portraits separate. For the former, 9, 8, 7 although I really like the way 7 & 8 are arranged - like a continuation of the scene.

For the portraits, 1, 3, 4, 5, 2, 6. 4 and 5 would be either way. 2 would be ranked higher with a more colorful sky. Your others are so striking and I miss it in this one. Maybe a red/pink toned something to balance the girls' clothing? In 6, I first thought the lady was resting her head on a big rock - not her hair. Maybe some highlights or separation of strands? (Highlights always help me look better! :D)

Good luck with your show. In review of your blogging, you seem to be on course with the process. Now in the frantic crisis mode to get that adrenaline going for the last push!

Happy Easter to you, Elise. Sorry we didn't see each other at Christmas.

on Monday, March 21st, Elise said

Thanks guys, that's *exactly* what I'm looking for!

I'm not going to talk about your feedback too much at this point because I'm hoping some others will want to put in their two cents worth...I do want to say a few words about 6 and 3.

You both nailed it with the problem hair/hands on number 6. She is still wet and it it got all mucked up when I decided to paint over the previous harmonica player and now I have to wait for it to dry before I can fix the hands and hair.

As for the umbrella in number 3, a guy I work with who's a photographer made the same observation and went on and on about it until I finally got pissed because I have already used it for the invitations. At the time I was doing the invitations it was one of the only ones far enough along. Now I am feeling like I don't even want to mail them out!

I can't paint the umbrella out because it creates balance for the red, what my photographer friend suggested was if it is supposed to be a beach type umbrella it needs to be bigger...I was going to paint a j style handle on it and title it "the harmonica player and her magical floating umbrella" just because I don't know how to fix it without redoing the whole thing...and I still have a stack of invitations ready to go out with that picture on them...grrrr...it didn't seem to bother you as much Joan, so maybe it will only really irritate some people, the shame is that it irritates me!

I won't say anything else about the others for now...

To answer your question Subi, yes, Rick will be coming for the show...he's the main reason I didn't cancel the show back when I hadn't started and thought there wasn't enough time...he really wanted to go to it and convinced me I could pull it off. Thanks bumpy!
And Joan, yes, sorry I missed you at Christmas...I got sick and was hiding out most of the time. Next year for sure. Anyway, I wish you both could be here as well! Thank you thank you thank you for taking the time to help me with these.

on Monday, March 21st, Jackie said

E: Okay here goes my ranking:
4, 9, 5, 6, 3, 1, 2, 7, 8.
Why: 4 is still my favorite. It appears the most 'believable' scenario of all the musician ones, and appears the most finished. 9 - tho I too think the landscapes should be ranked separately, by combining them - this is the most finished of the landscapes. It is a pleasing composition. 5 - needs detail - but I love the movement of the grass, her hair, the fiddle. 6 - the overall composition I enjoy - but her hands are too big, her face too small, and her hair is too big. Overall - needs more detail to the woman. 3 - the floating umbrella bugs me. But it does appear surrealistic - if that's what you're going for! 1 - Doesn't look finished, but if you gave the woman more detail, it might boost it to my top 3 (replacing the landscape). 2 - The poses look a bit awkward, the women appear very masculine -too muscled for my taste. But the composition works better, now that you've worked with the bass player. 7 & 8 - both look unfinished. I' m not wild about landscapes for the sake of landscapes. I loved your tidal flats/alluvial flow series, because they were really different - in the bird's eye view, and the theme. But these lack the unusal perspective and colors you have incorporated into your other scenery.
I hope you end up feeling happy about your body of work. It's tough to race to meet deadlines, even when some of us feel pressure of a deadline is the only way we'll ever get anything done! Enjoy your Easter break! :cool:

on Monday, March 21st, Howard said

I'd say move the pole of the umbrella to the left a little bit and make it larger so it looks like a beach umbrella stuck in the ground.

on Monday, March 21st, Elise said

Hi Jackie,
thanks for all the great insights. I've thought of a possible solution to the umbrella nightmare, possibly painting out the umbrella and giving her a big red hat, ala 4 Weddings and a funeral. I'm going to PhotoShop it to see how that would look.

Also, yes, hands, face, and hair for number 6 needs work.

2. I had already planned to tone down the bicep on the woman on the right. That was a mistake. The other thing is that I want them to look like they're having fun and they seem too serious right now.

I'm considering removing or just moving, the tree in number 5...plus, I haven't finished the faces of either 5 or 1...

As for the two landscapes, 7-8, people seem to like them the least but I think my audience here will like them. The colors are the colors of those mountains in the fall. It's a picture of Juneau from Douglas Island, and another up the Gastineau channel where I sail my boat so there is a personal attachment on my part.

I think that the devil is in the details. I think by cleaning up some of these problem areas I can create a much stronger body of works so keep the feedback comin in people! I've been living with these so much I need more eyes...

And thank you so much for taking the time!

on Monday, March 21st, Elise said

Hey Howard,
I missed your post there. I was considering moving the pole but since the umbrella is at an angle I'd have to change the angle of the umbrella as well. It might be worth it if the floppy hat don't fly.

on Monday, March 21st, Howard said

hmmm, the angle might be out a bit but it might look more correct anyway if you can see that it's connected to the ground.

on Monday, March 21st, Elise said

You're right, I mean, beach umbrellas have joints in them so you can put them at an angle right? I might just make it a little bit bigger. That could work!!!

THANK YOU HOWARD!

on Monday, March 21st, Nietzscheswife said

4, 5, 2, 1, 6, 3, 9, 7, 8.

:D

on Monday, March 21st, Elise said

Thanks Nietzscheswife!

on Monday, March 21st, holly said

5, 4, 3, 2, 8, 9, 1, 6, 7

I love the beach umbrella. Leave it be.

I think part of the problem with the harmonica woman is how the hell do you paint a harmonica without it looking like a chocolate bar? I was thinking about that last night (See, it really bugs me that I don't like that one)- harmonica players I've seen usually use both hands (which means you can't see the harmonica) or have it on a head frame a la Bob Dylan (in which case you'd have a painting called "Auburn Haired Babe with Headgear").

But seriously, these are so great, Elise-the colors, the compositions- they really make me smile.

on Monday, March 21st, Elise said

God holly, I was laughing out loud about the chocolate bar comment, you're *so* right! I've looked at hundreds of pictures of people playing harmonica and either you can't see it or half the person's face, or the have the neck contraption.

Maybe I should ixne the armonicahe and have her playing an Irish penny whistle (one of my favs) instead.

But thanks for the kind words. One has to have a thick skin when one asks for honest input. It has all been incredibly helpful to me but hearing that (even with the their many flaws) they make you smile makes me smile as well.
:laugh: