Too Blue?

[Pooch]

free jpeg imagescertificity.com

This is something I'm working on. Not finished yet. Boat not done, and I intend to put seagulls following behind. And some more work to do on the water. But I've gotta ask. Is it TOO blue? My wife thought so, and I didn't until I was away from it for a day. Came back and thought, "Oh damn, maybe she's right!"
What do you think? Is it the water? Tone it down, maybe.
And now that I see it reproduced smaller, it looks even more blue.

[CarlOwen]

Good evening Joseph. Been looking at this awhile and more than once. My opinion is that blue has nothing to do with it. It might be a transitional work wedged in between past performance and newly discovered concepts that I suspect have something to do with how only colors juxtaposed against colors have the ability to make the viewer see forms and shadows. I do not see harmony. I see choppy overlay and conflicts between colors and forms.

I suggest you do some blending overlays with lighter hues in the sky and darker hues in the ocean. Fade away that land finger a little and add three more light buildings. Pop the boat prow with just a little sharper red and the boat stern a little darker than the middle of the boat. In each lower corner make the blue waves darker while blending lighter waves up to the boat. Lighten the sun spot in the sky and put that silver lining on the top of the clouds under the sun spot. You are right about this not being finished. I see all this surface as a strong underlay needing those smooth transitions and color interplays I have suggested. No birds. It will turn this into a cartoon. Try seeing this with my suggestions before you do anything. Hope this helps.

[Pooch]

A lack of harmony!! That's what is wrong with this. It's chaotic. Not pleasing to the eye. Doesn't flow at all. Good comment. Spot on, I think.
Yes, it's more than just the blue.
I was looking at it last night and thinking, "Why am I being so inconsistent with my painting?" I'll do something I'm thrilled with like the train and mountain scene, and the destroyer in the storm...then something amateurish such as this.
Still in the learning process. Or relearning as the case may be.
Thanks for the critique. It was a very good one.

[CarlOwen]

You are welcome. Why so inconsistent? Because you have been away for awhile. The relearning is being compounded by your life experiences allowing you to learn new stuff that you never saw or thought about as a young man and at the same time you are relearning past techniques, abilities and perceptions. How do I know this? Because I re-started in 2004. I am 13 years down the path now with about 7 years left to go, if I live that long, in order to start to become satisfied with my work. I think I will then have about three to five years left in me to do some really, really good stuff.

[chneyswhite]

It is really a bit blue.

[Megan777]

In general, your work looks really good! Speaking about "too blue", I think I would be better if the sky will be a little bit light in order to see the sea-line.

[Pooch]

Megan, thanks for the comments. I appreciate it. The more I looked at this, though, the more I hated it. I've already painted over it!
I've been enjoying painting in a freer style with broad strokes and trying to get away from that tight painting style. I have a new painting I've just finished using the pallet knife. Let me know what you think.