Mother and Child - opinions please.?
 

I am contemplating this image for my next painting. This photo of my friend was taken in my home one late afternoon.

I am posting :
-the original photo
- my First crop
- my Second crop.
and please excuse my amateur PS skills.

I have cropped to fit my canvas of 52 x 70cm

Feedback of course, is most needed and most welcome.

I think people's reactions to a painting made from this photo will be determined by the subject matter and will not have anything to do with how well it's painted. I don't know how people would respond in Australia but in the United States there would be some strong opinions. It's a politically charged subject, ironically, stirring up a lot of emotions about what is really just a natural and beautiful behavior. There are some very controversial laws here about whether nursing should be permitted in public places, for example.

Is this to be a gallery painting or a commissioned portrait? If this is intended for a gallery you might want to ask gallery owners in your area how they feel their clientelle would respond.

Hi Trisha,

I think this will make a beautiful painting. Regarding the composition, I think I would try to see about including the mother's complete arm and complete hand, so that their shapes return the eye to the focal point.Then paint a continuation of the mom's dress to cover the baby's legs and diaper.

I also like the color harmony you're looking at, and agree that the arm of the chair presents a tangent with the top of the baby's head, and needs to disappear, as you have shown in the bottom image, or be moved.


Kindest regards,

Thank you.

Michelle, this will be a gallery painting.
There are no such strong opinions in Australia. If there are, they are few and mostly silent. I guess that is why they call Australia "The Lucky Country." :)

Thanks Chris. Someone else suggested putting a blanket over the babies diaper & legs. this would not be too difficult, but I am not confident to paint hands that I cannot see. I understand your reasoning about the arm leading the eye though, so this is important to consider.

I will try again.

Nor am I! You'd need to get some moe photos of the mom's hands, or stand-in hands.

You're right - Thanks Chris.

And this.?

Biki,

I sent you two composite ideas via email. I didn't know you had this here.

Let me know if you want me to post them!

:) Beth

I don't know Michele, I can't imagine very many folks being offended by this as a painting. Classical nudes are well accepted in most galleries, how could this be worse? I can not imagine anyone thinking this as anything other than beautiful.

In the end, worrying about other folks hang-ups or insecurities would cause us as artists to just tie our hands.

I look forward to seeing it Tricia.

I'm with Kim on this one. I think it will make a stunning painting and the last posted image was on the mark from a compositional standpoint. Go for it.

Thanks, Richard. I will go with this one, but maybe add the full form of the shoulder too.?

Hi Tricia, I agree with this idea - psychologically, I think this works best with lots of breathing space around the mother (lots of room to the edges of the canvas). They would seem to be more in their own world that way. I think this will be a lovely painting.