Sant'Allessio Terrace, full size

This painting is now complete. The final touches were to add the railings, and adjust a few things here and there. I thickened some of the palm fronds in the lone palm tree in the centre of the background. I adjusted the vines that run along from the shed to the apartment wall. And I added a touch of mauve shadow on that same wall just above the shed roof.

I love all the colors. There is just one thing that distracts me and that is that the sky and the wall of the larger building are the same value, so that I get pulled right out of the painting through the sky. I've been taking a weekend art course and one of the suggestions that I learned from the course was that it is all right to make the sky a slightly darker value so the it does not pull you away from the center of interest. Hope that helps.

Hope you don't mind, but I couldn't resist doing some photoshopping.



Judy

Good point, Judy. I agree that the values are quite close! It does keep your eye up there a little longer than it needs to be.
Thanks for the observation!

hope you saw the edited version. It appears that you may have responded before i edited the picture into the post.

Judy

Yes, I was actually "between tasks" when I read your note, so I responded right away. As you showed in the photoshopped version, the darker sky does draw attention to the building! Good "call", as they say!

Thanks Alan. I just felt that I was loosing all the beauty along the right side because of the sky pulling me away. I wish I could spot things like that so easily in my own paintings.

Judy

Great painting! I can really feel the three dimensional form of the buildings.

Alan, I love painted buildings, but like paintings of laundry hanging around more....nice work and I see what you mean Judy....my eyes were stopping at the sky too long love seeing the contrast. keep up the nice work!

I agree with Judy Alan. I was wondering how the background trees could stop in such a straight line. A small point but one which I found worrying.
Good colourful happy painting

Jack

I really like this painting, Alan. Love the colors and details you've put in this larger painting!
Dayle

I love the contrast between the sunlit sides of the buildings and the shaded fronts - nicely done!

Now completed, except for the signature. Thanks for your keen 'eye for value', Judy. I went back to revisit the sky. I darkened it slightly by mixing and testing a blend of French Ultramarine, Raw Umber, Dioxizine Purple and Titanium White.

Next step after signing this is to photograph it and other recent paintings in proper outdoor north light.

It looks great. The sky came out really nice. I like your choice of colors to do it. The buildings now just standout in all their glory emphasizing the wonderful contrasts between sunlit and shadowed.

Judy

Much better contrast! Good feeling to be done, eh?

I find it wonderful how an artist's eye can find beauty anywhere. Gorgeous colour and light. Congrats.

Thank you all for your comments. I might enter this one into a local juried exhibition. It would be good to have some exposure.

Alan,

I think it would be great to put it in the local juried exhibition. It is outstanding.

Judy