Stuck to Un-Stuck

Stuck to Un-Stuck

It is normal for an artist of any genre to become stuck on a painting, as it can take years for the solution to enter your mind.  I have two such paintings that sit in my studio and they are both of sunflowers.  I may, at some time, destroy them, but there is always hope that I will figure out how to fix my problem, for which I am sure math is involved.  Sometimes, you never figure out how to fix your problem, until someone comes along.  A second set of eyes is always helpful.

My artist friend, Paul, got stuck on a painting of thistles because he could not figure out how to mix a certain color that he felt he had to have in the painting. He showed me the 12x12 painting and I loved it on sight.  I asked if I could have it, and he said okay.  I am not as realistic a painter as he is, but I am good with color, and was happy to take it home to complete it on his behalf.  His signature was already on it, so it would never be mine.

I should have taken a photo of the painting before I started, but here it is at the beginning of putting brush to canvas:

At this point I had changed a few things -  the stems were too light and the leaves were all one value.

Here is the finished piece:

As the forward most thistle had the most blue, I felt that it should be the main flower that draws your eye into the painting.

Is the color Paul thought he had to have there?  I'm not sure, as I saw thistles and painted what I saw.

Now Paul's problem is solved and he can sell it.  But, I get half of the takings!