My latest
 

Here is my most recent painting. I am a bit frustrated with my natural tendency to emphasize the linear elements in a face at the expense of form and volume. ( I am a great admirer of Tomasins work in this regard) Any help will be appreciated. Thanks for looking.

Mary, I was just thinking what a wonderful painting this is, and how lively and suggestive of the edges (not restrained by them), and how I need to put some of that in my own paintings, and then I read you are influenced by my work (which is very kind of you).

I really enjoy the liveliness of the painting (as I said) and the unfinished parts at the bottom and in the flowers, and also the face and background. Those are areas that I would love to look at again and again, and for they are worthy of being framed and hung right now.

The right shoulder and, to a certain extent, the left one too, needs to be reworked. They are a bit flat and don't have the confidence of the rest (less finished) parts of the painting. Perhaps scrape the painting of a redo them with a lighter touch - a scumble - and also - most importantly - look much harder at the very subtle changes in tone which will indicate volume and shape. Two or so quick marks made unselfconsciously as the result of profound observation can make much more magic than a full day's tedious labour when you're trying to match the paintmarks to what's already there (and therefore not focussing your energies of real observation (a problem of mine lately).

You are so right, Thomasin. Thank you for your observation. Now that I look at them the shoulders do look like a cardboard cutout. I was just looking at one of your paintings and admiring the way you did the arm and shoulder girdle. I definitely do have a problem with keeping form from flattening, especially in areas where one must observe surfaces that are not defined by an edge but must be defined by the subtle changes of tone that you refer to. I love the way that you are able to manage this problem.