The canvas for N'Orleans had been sitting in the stack waiting to be covered over ever since I got frustrated with my inability to put the image down the way I wanted. However, it managed to sit out of sight for so long that inspiration returned and I was able to get out the oils tonight and lay down two new layers that completely changed the look of the painting and, I think, make it work much better.
I began by adding in the light / street signs as a balancing element and then, completely by accident, I'll admit, I found that I liked the look of the multi-colored daubs around the light and thought that look might work well for the whole painting. So I mixed the colors very lightly on the wood and used a medium flat brush to just gently lay colors on the canvas.
I am fairly pleased with the finished result, although I think the girl in the window needs a lot of work, and am particularly happy with the lamp itself. In my own, ever-so-humble opinion, the overall brightness mixed with sloppy patterns works well and fits the name "confetti" better than it does "N'Orleans", hence the change.
(The streets, for the record, are Bienvielle and Chartern, and are real streets in the city of New Orleans.)
I can see where I've improved on my technique since some other paintings (it's been just over a year since I started painting) but I can also see where I have got a very long way to go. But it feels really good to take an idea I thought I had failed at completely and get something down that I like; something that I think is a bright and positive image that makes for a good representation of how I feel about the city of New Orleans.
(One last note, this is a crappy, crappy photo. I need to take some time and photograph these things properly, but I do not feel like putting in the time needed at close to midnight on a Sunday! Also, for scale, this measures about two feet horizontally by three feet vertically; it is one of the bigger canvases I have tackled thus far.)
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