Want To Figure Out What's Right With This Painting?

Question

Three days ago I asked for some suggestions about what I saw as a major problem getting the perception right on a painting I had done. There were many answers, ranging from changing the color schemes to the painting not falling into the ‘normal’ rules of painting. With this being a surrealistic work those suggestions were pretty much ignored. But to those of you who helped with the perspective problem I thank you greatly. I was too close to the work to see the obvious and you saw it for me. Again, I thank you.

The before:

http://pics.livejournal.com/unmired/pic/000309qd/g11

The after:

http://pics.livejournal.com/unmired/pic/000315tw/g11

The floor was tiled, the door was raised and the rear wall was lengthened to add depth of field. I also made the chairs and table larger to help the woman appear smaller.

Now, what can you find wrong with the painting?

God, might I suggest that you take the time to view the paintings I have in my Live Journal Blog?

http://pics.livejournal.com/unmired/gallery/00002xgc

And, by the way, I've been painting seriously for twenty years and have already sold two-thirds of the nearly 400 hundred paintings I've done. My work seems to sell in part because I couldn't care less about the conventions considered the norm. Nor do I think artists like Klimt, Gauguin or Magritte worried too much about following normal conventions. I only tried to concerned myself with such guidelines when I was teaching.

Answer 1

The painting does look much better then the first version. the rest is just a matter of taste.

Answer 2

Well I'll be darned, art by commitee.O.K the addition of a tiled floor helps a bit with the linear perspective (she dosen't appear to be floating as much)but now you have a problem in that the intensity of the color of the floor(loud v.s.grey) is too strong for the rest of the picture and the floor now is the center of attention.This also creates a new problem with perspective in that the floor appears to be advancing ahead of the woman.The other comment about the symmetrical placing of the woman is correct.Try to think of the division of the space of your picture as something that should be divided unequally.The rule of thirds is one way to do this; there are others. Ask yourself why am painting this picture?Is it about the woman? The cafe?Her message? Try to eliminate anything that does not contribute to the central idea .Think about devoting more of the pictorial space to this idea.If you do this your picture will have a more powerful impact and relay it's message more clearly .It will simplify the picture for you and guide you through the painting process by keeping you focused on a goal.I recommend reading some books on composition & design,color and perspective.Good luck !!! ** Well excuse me for trying to help someone who didn't give us any clue that you were anything other than an untalented amateur who thanks people for help with what ? A tiled floor in perspective .Gee, that just could'nt be a convention now could it ?Only the most overdone perspective trick there is.You're not the only one who has taught art,sold a lot of paintings and has been painting for more than 20 yrs or that understands abstract art.Remember ,YOU ASKED US what was WRONG with this painting .I gave you my honest opinion and it stands.If you don't want to hear what people have to say then DON"T POST!!!!

Answer 3

No offense or anything but I would rather not put the woman in the middle. I think it would be more interesting if she was moved a little to the left or right. Because the woman is in the middle, the eyes of the viewer is led to her and thus most tend to concentrate on her. Try to use the rule of thirds, it might help adding interest to the rest of your painting.

Answer 4

The woman blends in too much with the building.