"Air of Peace"

($40.00......Water Soluble Oils on Gessobord)

"Pastoral scenes invoke an air of peace." There is a reason why we like taking a drive out in the country where there are rolling hills, trees, and barns. It is peaceful and takes all of the chaos in our lives to a quieter place.

A reference photo from Tennessee inspired this piece, but I quickly diverged into an abstract delivery of the paint. This is a good time to repeat something which finally resonated with me. It's from Kevin MacPherson...a very successful plein air painter who has two of the best books on the subject. We all know that shapes are very important in art, but I am continually surprised at how quickly that thought leaves my head when I'm painting. 

All paintings are made up of shapes. To forget that is to have a painting fall apart. It is also one of the first things I look for in other artwork. Those shapes and the division of space are the foundation of the piece. They must be distinguishable and not "wishy-washy". One way to learn is to give it a try for yourself, but also to study other artist's work and notice how they've pulled it off.

The direction of the lines (or edges) is also a key factor since all straight lines can be quite boring. That's why trees are so pleasing. The trunks may be mostly straight, but then the branches and limbs give you all of the diagonals and the foliage typically has a nice rounded shape. I have concluded that most good design is on display for us just by going outside. And there you have it...just a few more things to think about.

Please contact me personally to inquire about this piece.