This is a bit different from earlier efforts. Basically, I was in a hurry, and thought that I could get away with a super-fast simple painting. I don't think I got away with it. Although there is some charm around the cat's face, throat, and rear paw, the upper background doesn't work --- it doesn't depict anything, but it is too busy to be simply a neutral background. Also, one of my principles is that a painting should be equally engaging from close up and far away, and even if this works to some extent from close up, it doesn't work from close away. When you stand back from this painting, it looks like a white blob surrounded by red and purple. This effort showed me that you can't short-cut composition. The painting might have been more successful with a better thought-out upper background. (No. 38, 6x6", on Gessobord, Oct. 1, 2012)
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