Saturday, May 1, 2010

Frank Haddock


You're More Important Than Me - watercolour

Anyone who loves dog, would surely be captured by the beauty of this work by Frank Haddock. Frank paints with a sensitive hand and a fine brush. And, this work makes the media seems so appropriate to the subject.

The diffusion of light and colour, is soft and it sets the tone for the gentle and patient love of the guide dog for its owner.

There are so many 'little things' which together built to make this an excellent work. Frank uses the power of contrast to make his statement even bigger than life.
The softness of the dog's coat and its gentle sense of forebearance, is enchanced by the contrast of it lying on a hard surface. And there is also the contrast of colours - the honeyed warmth of the dog, contrasted to the cool blue of its back cloth, and the blue of the hard pavement.

Notice too, the intersection of vertical and horizontal lines in the tiles. Frank's subject is pretty much defined within an area, within the picture. And,this defines the area of our focus.

The harness is the link between the dog and its owner. But, it is also our visual link to the animal. The leash runs parallel to the line of the tiles, and then loops into the round form of the dog itself. The leash gives the owner and the viewer a sense of ownership of the subject.

You can check out more of Frank's works by looking at his website by clicking here, or by clicking on his name on the profiled artist's list on the right column.

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