Inadequacy is the mother of invention

I thought to use my collection of lotus photos as teaching material, as a means of applying traditional brush techniques to a composition that was not derived from rote.

And I found another photo that I liked, 

and I happened to have some scraps of cicada skin Xuan handy, so I just grabbed a piece and started to paint on it. The translucent paper exudes an entirely different persona.

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Upon examining the initial photograph and subsequent painting, as well as my second attempt, I became dissatisfied with the visual clutter of the paper.  This clutter was not due to an excessive number of objects, but rather the uniformity of values among all the characters in the painting, resulting in a flat and prosaic appearance.

Perhaps I should have anticipated the inclusion of blurred backgrounds to enhance depth perception, akin to the concept of bokeh in photography.

Alternatively, I could have painted the leaves with a lighter hue, employing a more diffused technique to simulate distance.  Additionally, I should have distinguished my main character, or protagonist, by making them as clear and vivid as possible, while allowing the supporting cast to gradually fade into the background.

I could experiment with this theory on my current painting, the one depicted on the cicada skin Xuan. However, I was uncertain whether my sloppy techniques would be sufficient to achieve the desired effect.

In a moment of inspiration, I considered the possibility of superimposing the translucent Xuan onto the other layer of paper. This technique would result in the objects on the second layer being muted by the top layer.

It looked wicked.  I was all for it!

I went ahead and mounted my two pieces together.  When the papers were wet, they were almost transparent, allowing everything to show through from under the papers. 

Opacity was restored after the papers dried.

The painting on the bottom was now quite subdued, contrasting with the one on top.  Layers in Photoshop must have been invented this way!

But then I realized one of the petals was washed out in the mounting process.  I must have loaded too much undiluted color onto my brush while I was painting the blossom.

Worry not, a little clever cropping could save my project. 

It was all in the packaging.  Now my painting had a lot of objects in it but didn't feel too busy for me.

I was able to cheat.

Mission accomplished.  Inadequacy is the mother of invention. 

Giving context to Once upon a time in the West

 My Once Upon A Time In The West painting has been decorating my wall for a while.

I didn’t hate the painting, but I had the feeling it was missing something. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. Maybe it was too realistic and didn’t give the viewer much room to dream. Beautiful scenery is everywhere, right? It’s like having a great meal without dessert. It doesn’t need to be fancy or extravagant like a flambé or table side white-gloves soufflé service. A few pieces of chocolate would do just fine for me. 

I knew it was so cliché, but placing a couple of Natives on horsebacks might add some context to my painting.

Off I went to a proof of concept rendition of my protagonists,

Satisfied with the sample, I forged ahead with the real attempt.

I picked a location for my horse insertion.  Since the painting had been mounted, the treated paper was making a little fuss in taking on new ink.  The ink tended to bead up and was uncooperative in following the brushstroke.

Added the second horseman,

I could see that my painting was trying to tell a story now,

The black and white painting somewhat camouflaged the figures, especially because I placed the riders in the darker areas of the painting.  

Perhaps they are my Easter eggs?

I decided to add another person to the painting.  I picked a lighter spot this time and the ink seemed to flow a little better. 

The new face of the painting,   I loved the contrast between the more obscure riders and the obvious one, who seemed to have climbed up the hill for the encounter. 

I couldn't help but recall some interesting tidbit about a famous contemporary Chinese artist by the name of  Wu Guanzhong.  He did a drawing of the Suzhou museum (I think),

  

and subsequently altered it a bit by simplifying the composition and added a couple of swallows.

One art critic called this the Mondrian of Mr. Wu's.

The metamorphosis of his painting was dramatic. It transitioned from a plein-air work to something that was quite poetic. Swallows in Chinese culture symbolize loyalty and nurturing. These birds diligently care for their young and return to the same nest year after year. In his painting, the swallows are diminutive and almost imperceptible to casual observers. However, their insignificance magnifies their profound presence in the artwork for those who comprehend the underlying sentiment.

According to one account, people sought to acquire this painting for an astronomical sum of money but it was not for sale.  Some art critic called this work ”Wu’s Mondrian”.  I personally think this is quite unnecessary. I’m not sure if it elevates or demeans his work. He subsequently donated this work to the Hong Kong Museum of Art.  Mr. Wu claimed that this was his most favorite painting.

And, I finally got my after dinner chocolates !