Marina

[Jeanine Jackson]

Originally Posted by Linda Brandon

Hello Jeanine,

I'm admiring this elegant life study for its muted color scheme and the subdued colors in the face. It looks like you had a wonderful time with the feathers, not only for catching the highlights throughout the mass but also for capturing the shadows of the feathers on the skin.

I wonder if it frustrated you to discover that you had cut off the hands of this life painting.

Thank you for noticing the fun I had with this, Linda!

The plan from the beginning was head and shoulders. The arms were developed to show the shadows and a little bit of gesture. I never got the feeling of cropped hands which are way off the canvas. Other painters in our group did vignette the arms, but I felt it important to represent them loosely.

So here is my composition question: Where does a head and shoulders composition end and a three-quarter begin? Should the crop remain above the elbow or else include hands?

Thank you for your thoughtful comments,
Jeanine