Forest Rhythm

"Trees love to toss and sway; they make such happy noises." 

(Emily Carr)

Forest Rhythm
24" x 30"  - acrylic on canvas  - SOLD
This is for sale - contact me for price if interested.

stage 1
I just wanted to get down some colour shapes and then think about it

I started this painting last March, worked on it then, put it aside, and then returned to it last week, resolving what I thought were the stylistic issues. The subject was inspired by a place I visited last summer - my friend Mary Kate's cottage on a small island in what we call 'cottage country' - and features a landscape view that I have now painted several times, but in very different ways. I am really happy with how this painting turned out and I love the sense of movement created by the undulating curves of the trees and forest floor, which in turn suggested the title.  

As usual though, this work went through several stages. 

stage 2
though I really liked the abstraction that was happening here,
 I felt the forms needed more definition and value contrast 

stage 3
the palette changed as did the values but the trees needed shape,
and 'something' was needed in the background;
 I was liking the curving horizontals at the ground level

stage 4
loved the wild curving lines defining the tree foliage,
but it all needed more paint and some refining