This is a pretty good photo of the unfinished Heated Discussion. It’s at the ‘get it finished any day now’ stage. I enjoy working on details but sometimes I give them too much attention. The stuff in the background is too strong–too busy. Secondary motifs can be jarring when they spill outside their intended place and draw undo attention. This can be especially troublesome when the central theme is simple, as it is here.
The main figures are seen in interesting light and space; they seem light, as if they are floating above the ground. The solid background details detract from the airiness. For now.
This paining is composed from photos I took at the Cleveland Museum. I didn’t know it at the time but the figures are staff members. After starting the painting, the male figure sat next to me at the Museum cafeteria not once, but twice! I was startled to see a figure from my painting, one I’d studied closely, next to me. I hope I didn’t stare. Odd, no?