Teresa Wentzler Art

(A bit of a break from the peonies today.) I love old gardens and can gaze for hours at images culled from the web.

My favorites are the more intimate European-style walled gardens. I love that some gardens attached to historic English manor houses have been in cultivation (and lovingly cared-for) for hundreds of years. In fact, one of my favorite books is The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett… which, for me has all of the elements of “romantic place and time” in spades.

In that vein, a rough sketch:

Sometimes, I have no definite plans for ideas… they just ‘marinate’ in this phase until a particular impetus comes along to push it forward. In this case, I’m in no rush at present to move ahead. Now is the time to check to see if various design principles are in evidence. Without them, art is less effective in saying what you want it to say.

Fleshing out an idea and working out a composition involves several things: unity, balance, movement, rhythm, focus, contrast, pattern and proportion.

Unity: Does what’s in the drawing (the elements) make a unified image? Does it make sense? Would the peacocks be perched on cacti in a desert landscape? Nope, definitely not my intent. Of course, if you’re going for a surreal vibe and *want* a jarring dis-unity, (think Salvador Dali’s folded clock faces) then manipulation of this element is a great place to make that happen.

Balance: Does the image show a distribution of visual weight on both sides of the vertical axis? In other words: if you draw a vertical line down the middle of the image, does it look like the peacocks are too visually heavy for the image or are they balanced by the elements on the other side of the drawing: the wall with it’s arched opening and climbing roses, the ornate topiary, the fountain? It doesn’t bother me; to my eye, it’s an example of asymmetrical balance.

Movement: Does the viewer’s eye move through the composition from one element to another? This is where directional devices come into play. Lots of stuff going on. For me, the biggest thing is the arch in the wall. It’s an opening, especially with the stone path leading the viewer into the garden. The peacocks are just window dressing; they don’t lead anywhere, except the sweep of the tail emphasizing the height of the wall. The tree on the left and it’s overhanging branch further enclose the scene, and the tall dark background trees act as a ‘back wall’, adding to the ‘hidden’ feel.

Rhythm: Are elements in the drawing successfully repeated/combined to create cohesiveness and interest? This one can be very subtle as in the repetition of leaf shapes throughout, since it’s lush garden scene. And more obvious as in the stone shapes in the path, and wall.

Focus: Are there places for the viewer’s eye to rest: focal points? The main one would be the garden/fountain through the doorway. Everything on this side of the wall is in shadow or dappled shade. The garden will be in bright sunlight. The secondary focal point is the interaction between the peacocks.

Contrast: Does the image show contrast of dark/light, textures, shapes, sizes, etc. to create visual interest? What isn’t really visible in the sketch is the degree of sunlight and shadow and the part it plays in the overall composition. There is plenty of contrast however, in the various textures: green growing stuff against the rock wall which contrasts with the smoothly carved fountain, and the sunlit water itself against the dark background trees.

Pattern: Does the image exhibit repetition of certain shapes that helps to draw the composition together? This element seems to have a close relationship to Rhythm. The same shapes show up throughout the drawing. For example, the round eyes in the peacock’s tail are repeated in the carved fountain and in the topiary shapes at the back of the garden.

Proportion: Do the elements in the image show the correct proportion to each other? Are they believe-able in the context as shown? I think they’re pretty close.

So, I’m reasonably sure that the compositional requirements have been met. I can feel good about moving on to the next stage when the spirit moves me. Do I consciously go through all of these elements in checklist-like fashion every time I draw something? I have to say no. They are pretty much ingrained and second nature after a lifetime of doing art. But it is helpful, when there is something about a drawing/sketch that just doesn’t seem right, to go through them and see if there may be compositional weakness that needs to be addressed.