Friday 2 November 2012

Seeing Red


This landscape is based on a photo I took a few weeks ago when on a late morning walk with the dog at Rockwood Conservation area, near Guelph (Ontario!).  I have painted this view before but in a more traditional way that I was not, ultimately, happy with. This time I decided to be much more painterly, experimental and spontaneous, and have more fun.

Rockwood Conservation area
What is more fun than a cad red ground? Especially on a rainy day. On that I sketched in the landscape forms with some titanium white. Then I applied lighter values of the local colours, everywhere, quickly but not throughly, allowing lots of the red ground to show through. I really liked how the red seemed to 'glow' under some of the lighter colours, in the creek and sky. After that I added graphic lines with pastels, drawing around and re-defining the landform shapes, as well as adding detail within those shapes.  Liking what I had done thus far (and not wanting to lose it) I decided to stop and give myself some study time.  I have been looking at it for a few days now, and have to say that I really like this painting in all its graphic sketchy colourful spontaneity.
The big question is - how close is this painting to completion?
What do you think?
Stay tuned.




1 comment:

  1. What a cool painting--very free and fun looking. I wouldn't do anything else to it but frame it!

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