So what makes it a good painting?

Really? What determines that a painting is any good? Does the gallery? Who?

Fortunetly, you don't have to go to art school to answer this question. And the simplest answer is one that only you can answer, Do YOU like it? And here is what I hear most frequently from clients, what attracts them to particular artwork and particular artists.

So let's rephrase the question because what we really want to know is, "Is it the perfect painting for me?"

First, let's consider the scale. Interesting, huh? What is usually the first piece of criteria is, will the scale of the work suit the scale of the room? If the answere here is yes, then the artwork can be considered. No matter how good the painting is, if it is too big or small for the space then it just won't work. Usually artists work in a particular range of sizes so if you like one piece by an artist, you can find many others of similar scale and dimension. The two work together, the scale of the room and the scale of the artwork. When the two are harmonious the results are breathtaking.

Another is palette. Notice how I choose this word over color. "Color" implies matching and decorating, "palette" implies temperature, wholeness or completeness. A palette can be limited, meaning fewer colors used in the painting. When the artist does this, the result is usually a richer, more subtle work with highlighted spots of color. Or the palette can be varied, meaning a wider variety of colors often used at the same intensity. These paintings tend to be more active. So the term "palette" is better suited when describing the colors of a painting.

So the palette is something that is completely personal. Do you respond to rich, harmonious tones? Sublties that hint to depthes deep into the personal life of the painting? Temperature is important here, so consider the relative warmth of the work. Maybe you prefer a wider spectrum of hues. Does your eye always go to the pieces that are color-specific? Maybe you prefer lots of local color, whether it is a poppy field or an Venetian alley.