This semester and especially this week I've been struggling with composition. My paintings are very frontal and I've really gotten used to painting quickly, but I've been diving into my compositions too quickly and they have been suffering because of that.  Since I place the subject in right in the viewers face and don't focus much on the background it makes them less interesting. Although I'm spending less time on each painting, I still would like for someone to stop and look at it rather than walk right past after glancing because they think there isn't much to see. I've started to look at Frans Hals' drunken portraits for inspiration. They are simple and painted with detail but you can tell there is immediacy to his brushstrokes. He does not pay any more attention than needed to the portraits, especially since they seem to be of low status people. He does some interesting things with cropping, negative space and shadows that I'll begin to take into consideration more as I'm forming my compositions!