Cornfield with Morning Glories by charl (user name on Artist Network forums) is an attractive landscape that has a lot going for it. But when the artist posted the painting on the Art Clinic forum, she asked, “Is this painting boring/ho-hum?” My answer is no, the painting isn’t boring—but it could be more interesting. First, let’s look at what’s right with the work.

Immediately noticeable is this landscape’s convincing sense of depth. Bight colors and rich textures at the bottom of the composition establish the proximity of the foreground. The uniform color and texture of the more distant corn and the cool color of the trees on the horizon also create the illusion of deep space. Making the clouds smaller and less distinct as they approach the horizon enhances the feeling of receding distance.

Examining the design, one notices that the horizon line divides the picture into unequal segments, resulting in a much more interesting composition than dividing the landscape exactly in the middle would create. Also, the stands of trees on the left and the right form effective blocks, preventing the viewer’s eye from wondering out of the picture.

Cool blues and greens dominate the varied colors and provide an effective frame for the yellow of the cornfield. Touches of warm and cool colors throughout the painting knit the color scheme into a harmonious whole. The paint application is consistent throughout the picture, maintaining overall unity.

All of these factors add up to a rather successful painting. Still there’s a nagging sense that something’s lacking. There’s nothing obviously wrong, but the work has no “punch.” What’s missing? 
   
The answer is simple: a focal point. There’s no one place in the painting that has a stronger visual pull than any other. The eye scanning the work circulates nicely within the frame, but lacks a home base—a point on which the eye can rest. This endless loop is what creates that “ho-hum” quality in the composition that the artist sensed.
   
For a landscape such as Cornfield with Morning Glories, the focal point could be in the foreground. Objects the artist might consider include a fence post, a scarecrow, a birdhouse on a pole, a tree stump or even a patch of flowers or corn stalk that differs in color, shape and texture from other flowers or stalks. The foreground is a bit monotonous, so such an additional element would relieve this sameness. The focal point could also be in midground, perhaps in the form of a shed, tractor or windmill. Whatever is chosen to be the focal point should be located off center but not too close to the edges or corners of the frame.

Cornfield With Morning Glories is a successful painting, but as the artist intuitively sensed, the work needs something to grab and hold the viewer’s eye—a focal point.

Click here to read about Greg Albert and his approach to critiquing.

Artwork for the Art Clinic is chosen from work posted on the Art Clinic forum, which is part of the Artists Network message board. (You must log on as a registered member to post on the Art Clinic forum.)