Friday, May 1, 2015

Possibilities

On route 41 returning from a short holiday weekend with my siblings, I drove past a sign for a covered bridge which interested me as a possible subject to paint.  I turned the car around and like a child, I began a new adventure, exploring.  I crossed the bridge and much to my surprise there was a glistening stream with beautiful hues of cobalt blues and ochers in the water.  I was drawn to the twisting and turning and what appeared to be a small water fall.  The water churned and flowed over a tree that had fallen in to the stream, much like life around us, never to be see again.
 

I chose a sanded pastel paper 18 x 24 in size to work on and began to apply a rough sketch for composition.  I then strengthened the geometric shapes that form the building blocks in values that seemed to make sense to me.  
 

Next I began applying layers of cool and warm greys over the tangled branches along the edge of the stream on the left, along with the distant trees on the top of the painting.  
 
 

Now I addressed the tall trees on the right with strong strokes that felt like sinewy midsized tree limbs and bark that was deep and roughly textured. 


Now I turned my attention to the cool and warm shapes that represented the shadows from the trees and highlights on the water that seemed like the sun to hitting the surface on the water.
 
 
Building a good painting is easier if you build a good foundation, and finishing is even easier.  But always be open to surprises that pop up along the way - they may be the icing on the cake.  



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