Eve chose a pretzel

Lucian

Painting title: Eve chose a pretzel
Author: me
Size: 17.7 x 19.6 inches
Medium: oil on canvas
I would like you to tell me what art movement comes to your mind when you first look at this painting. Any other opinions and pieces of constructive criticism are welcome.

dakmediocreart

Might show more negative space around the neck if possible. Cheeky and I like the subject matter. For an art movement I’d say something akin to 1930s-50 American illustrators. I could see this selling pretzels in New York. 

heartofengland

Hi Lucian.
I can't help with the art movement. The pretzel is the star for me. You've got the mix of blended and sharp contrasts really well.

The face is stylish. I think the hair is less crisp than the face and I'm not sure that matches the rest of the painting. 

My eye keeps getting drawn by the busy mark making of the far trees and grass. This takes away from the more pleasing closer branch, leaves and fruit.

I wonder what it would look like on a wall🤔

What parts do you like most?

toujours

Synthetism

MoleMan

I'm not at all certain, quite what a pretzel is? Big eyes, however, and a menacing smile. Definitely qualifies as an Eve.

toujours

MoleMan said:

I'm not at all certain, quite what a pretzel is? Big eyes, however, and a menacing smile. Definitely qualifies as an Eve.

Pretzels are small dried stick sold in the potato chip isle where I come from.  Nothing like what is pictured here, so I too am a little unsure of what I am looking at!

tassieguy

Same here, @toujours. Pretzels are what we hand around to guests with nuts and chips while they enjoy drinks before we serve dinner. It looks like she's eating some large, very fattening doughnut-like confection. 

@Lucian, I don't know much about art movements and, although I'd like to see Eve eating an apple, it's a pleasing picture overall. It looks sort of modern but rather illustrative. As for opinions/criticism, the first I would offer is that you could  do more work on her collar bones to make them look more like collar bones and part of her, rather than subdermal implants.

heartofengland

@tassieguy and @toujours


(Wikipedia image)

The large ones are soft dough with a crispy crust made by dipping it in a boiling bicarb solution before baking. As Lucien shows, they often have coarse salt as a topping. They even made them on Great British Bake Off and are quite trendy in Birmingham UK.

The small things that shatter in your mouth before drying up all your saliva are soooo last century 😆

If you want a religious connection, pretzels are part of Yiddish culture (amongst others) AND they're becoming the 'forbidden fruit' due to very high salt. 

Lucian, one never knows what will pique the interest of your audience. At least you're not being ignored 😉

tassieguy

As so often happens these days, we in the Anglosphere have taken a word from elsewhere and reapplied it. English is such a thief of a language. But that's partly what's made it a modern lingua franca. 

MoleMan

heartofengland said:

...
I wonder what it would look like on a wall🤔

What parts do you like most?

Whose wall?

(That last line, I think, was a bit naughty.  )

Lucian

tassieguy said:

Same here, @toujours. Pretzels are what we hand around to guests with nuts and chips while they enjoy drinks before we serve dinner. It looks like she's eating some large, very fattening doughnut-like confection. 

English is not my native language, so I don't really know what this is called. There are these things that have the composition of a bagel and the shape of a giant pretzel. Look up "soft pretzel", but they go by multiple names. I'm not sure whether there is an official name for them. Here is a recipe: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/easy-homemade-soft-pretzels/

tassieguy said:

@Lucian, I don't know much about art movements and, although I'd like to see Eve eating an apple, it's a pleasing picture overall.

That's the thing. I had this idea: what if Eve had told the serpent to bugger off? "Eat from the forbidden tree? Nah. I'm full. I've already had a giant soft pretzel. I couldn't eat another bite"

tassieguy said:

As for opinions/criticism, the first I would offer is that you could  do more work on her collar bones to make them look more like collar bones and part of her, rather than subdermal implants.

I mean, I've seen girls with very protruding collarbones in my life, but maybe you're right. I made them look slightly less prominent.

Thanks for your thoughts.

GTO

It has a “tongue-in-cheek” angle to it.  She’s smiling hoping that you get the joke.  

God told Adam that he needed some company, a woman.  But to make her he was going to need one of Adam’s body parts, a rib.  Adam was relieved to hear this because at first he thought god was going to ask for an arm and a leg.  😀

MoleMan

GTO said:

It has a “tongue-in-cheek” angle to it.  She’s smiling hoping that you get the joke.  

God told Adam that he needed some company, a woman.  But to make her he was going to need one of Adam’s body parts, a rib.  Adam was relieved to hear this because at first he thought god was going to ask for an arm and a leg.  😀

@GTO, that was both classic and excellent humour. and a well-painted thought. 

Lucian

dakmediocreart said:

Might show more negative space around the neck if possible.

Would you mind elaborating on this? I'm not really sure I understand what you mean.

toujours said:

Synthetism

Frankly, I don't see it. I'm not much of a fan of strong lines and lose brushwork. Is that the impression it's giving you?

toujours

Lucian said:

toujours said:

Synthetism

Frankly, I don't see it. I'm not much of a fan of strong lines and lose brushwork. Is that the impression it's giving you?

You asked what it reminded me of.   The first thought that sprang to mind as I viewed it were Gauguin's island portraits.  
Perhaps it has nothing to do with strong lines or loose brushwork, perhaps the aura of the painting was enough to give me the impression?   I am so silly, I did not even make a connection with Eve and an apple the first time I looked at it. 
What art movement were you expecting/hoping viewers would say?

tassieguy

@Lucian, no one knows what movement you were thinking of or aiming for. And it doesn't seem to fit any that I know of.  But you painted it. How about you tell us what art movement you had in mind when painting it? 

dakmediocreart

Lucian said:

dakmediocreart said:

Might show more negative space around the neck if possible.

Would you mind elaborating on this? I'm not really sure I understand what you mean.

toujours said:

Synthetism

Frankly, I don't see it. I'm not much of a fan of strong lines and lose brushwork. Is that the impression it's giving you?

her proportions around the neck, it looks to me that her neck should appear longer.