Description
Faces in the Mirror IV – a blue eye beside red strands
Painting on canvas shoulders the face against the right edge and lets it be cut there, so what stays in the crop is a single enormous blue eye — decorative painting at its least symmetrical and deliberately unresolved.
Technique and texture
The planes are painted smooth, with tonal shifts inside each colour so slight you have to look for them. The contours are thick, black and unbroken along their whole length. A silver earring beside the cheek is the only cool metallic note on the canvas.
The motif
The eye takes up nearly a quarter of the height and is out of all proportion to the lips, which is what gives the whole its drawn, cartoon character. Broad red strands fall in wide arcs and frame the face from one side only. Because the other half of the head is cut away, the composition stays open on that side.
Setting and placement
Yellow, red and blue are used here pure and unmixed, so the surroundings need to be quiet and free of pattern for any of it to land. Against a white wall the colour does its most work.
- Technique: hand-painted painting on canvas, smooth planes, even unbroken contour, cool metallic accent
- Palette: red, yellow, blue, ochre, silver
- Ideal for: living rooms, children’s rooms, hallways
- Character: bold, drawn, cheerful
Choose the size that suits your wall.
