Part 4 On the Edge of reality

One of my favorite subjects to talk about with painting is edges; to me it’s the hidden secret to my work—the one element many people miss. By getting the right amount of distortion on the edges, I can push my work to the next level, especially when it comes to structural, figurative and interiors.

If your work is looking too tight then the wise thing is too look at loosening your edges; the opposite is true if your work is too loose. We need to be conscious that we’re aiming to create an artistic statement not necessarily a perfect historical document. Both are possible, but I am more concerned with my artistic statement and then I normally let the rest look after itself.

The other element to consider with our edges is that we can use them to help push the eye around your scene; it is a delicate balance, so it may take some experimentation. I like to remember the eye loves variety and gets fatigued with repetition.

Sorrento, Australia, oil, 11 x 13" (28 x 33 cm) This is a great scene to play with the edges because the boathouse and timber work on the jetty. The strong horizontal line on the handrail could easily become too predictable and lead the eye...