Ruin - really beyond repair! by Ann Cook

I have just looked through your gallery and I am really impressed with the quality of your work. Having said that, this painting is probably, in my very humble opinion, as good if not better than the others. A superb painting. I do love desolute remote old ruins and have also done a couple of paintings on similiar lines which I may post some time, not as competition I hasten to add but to show a different approach to the same subject matter.

Ann, I think you are wrong about a break in your painting being a reflection on this painting. It's really lovely, so much character in the ruin and the foreground rocks are brilliant. Another thing that your shine at which is evident in this picture, is your GREENS!!!! More, more more!!

I agree with Fiona & Michael, In fact I think this is my favorite. Its a bit more atmospheric than some of your others, I can feel a smir of rain! I paint every day so I have no excuse for todays rubbish effort.

Ann, I agree with the above comments - the subject is very evocative and the greens are great. Having said that I don't know if it's just the image on my computer, but would it help just a little to lift some of the dark shades behind the cottage so that it stands out more? I have to say I'm no expert, but on a recent course we learnt that tone creates form, or something like that, which means that shapes show more clearly against a different tonal value. Please take this in the way it's meant - it's not a criticism, and I'd be very happy to hear your suggestions about any of my paintings - all the help I can get is appreciated!

Really like this Ann. Some lovely texture on the building and the foreground grass.

I think you are being to critical of your work in this painting Ann, I agree with some of the comments already posted about your greens etc. although I might have considered placing the darker green grases around the rocks in the bottom of the foregroud and the lighter green next to the ruin, this is not meant as a criticism Ann, just some food for thought I think darker colours to foreground should be almost at the bottom of the painting to make some form of statement to say this is the boundary of the painting to the viewer, in saying all this, I still like the painting and composition

I think its perfect the way it is. The grass should be darker in the shade of the building and lighter, in the foreground, as you have made it. The dark greens in the center make it more of a vignette, and a lot more interesting. Although I agree with Jane, but its only a very small detail. Sometimes I take a B&W photo to help see the tones in a painting.

I agree with Kevin that this painting is perfect as it is. It has a great feeling of watery sunlight - so typical of mountainous regions. The ruin is beautifully painted with hints of different colours in the stonework and all your greens are so diverse and interesting. You have not been afraid to punch the darks into the painting and you have balanced these with lovely light sections, like the mountain and sparkles of white paper in the foreground. I think you should be very pleased with this one, Ann.

Thanks everyone for your kind and helpful comments. Maybe I won't pack up painting just yet!

Don't stop, Ann. I enjoy your gallery very, very much. Your paintings are so full of atmosphere and I especially like your subjects!