Plein air; 8x10; oil on canvas board. C & C welcome!

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Comment by Michael J. Severin on October 17, 2014 at 4:26

Hi Betsy, Your greens are very well painted.  I like the variety of greens and I noticed that you moved the barn color around in the grass!  I like your gradation of the ground plane.  The path and gradation help us move into the depth of the painting quite well.  I know you put lots of color into those light areas ..clouds and roof .but the overexposure chalks them out to much ..would like to see this painting in the normal exp. I would like to discuss some compositional points in your painting.  We, the viewers, would step into your painting much easier if you would extend your path edge so it goes out of the picture plane on the left edge. You have a slight indication of a line doing that, and all you would need to do is paint in the path color over the small area of grass.  The widening of the path will create better depth as the path narrows around the bend.  It also invites us into the painting by letting us step right onto the road.   Even though the barn looks well kept, I would suggest that you swag the roof line a little ...that would relieve the hard edge and give the barn some more character.  Okay, your light source is coming from the left rear ..?   I would like to suggest an idea to make your roof a little more interesting:  "Plant" a tree right next to the front left edge of the barn and on the same plane ..use the existing tree and just make it closer and right next to the barn ..THEN ..cast a tree shadow across the roof ..instant interest.!  Your clouds need some form.  They need some shadow in the cloud forms.  These would be only slightly darker in value then your sky.  Now, just one more thing.  Try avoiding a line of trees all on the same PLANE.  Push some back or some forward.  You can push some back by taking your grass color  and painting between some of the trees ..pushing your horizon line back a little ...or you can paint some of the taller trees a little further down from your horizon line.  In either case, you will create various planes which will give you depth and avoid a long harsh line ..it will certainly give more interest.  Anyway, try those out Betsy ..they are easy fixes and I think you will really like the outcome.  :))

Comment by Betsy Jenkins on October 11, 2014 at 16:12

Thank you, Silvana! Nice to hear from you. Hope all is well in your world.

Comment by Silvana M Albano on October 11, 2014 at 14:38

Very nice and peaceful Betsy!

Comment by Betsy Jenkins on October 10, 2014 at 2:21

Thanks, Olivia. I did this exercise to practice grass and trees (greens), which are a challenge for me. I agree about the windows. The doors are incorrect, too. They need to be larger. I am trying to decide if I should work on a larger version of this sketch, and if so, how to improve the composition. .

Comment by Olivia O'Carra on October 9, 2014 at 19:49

Great painting Betsy I love all the broken colour in the path and foreground grass and the red barn against the greens is a great focal point. I might vary the windows a bit

Comment by Betsy Jenkins on October 9, 2014 at 16:09

Thanks, Craig.

Comment by Craig Seaborn on October 9, 2014 at 15:18

Very nice Betsy

Comment by Betsy Jenkins on October 8, 2014 at 11:16

Thank you, Cristina.

Comment by Cristina Mihailescu on October 8, 2014 at 10:36

Love it!!!

Comment by Betsy Jenkins on October 8, 2014 at 4:51

Thanks Mario. I tried a little gradation on the grass to keep it from being a boring mass of green expanse, and also to lead the eye towards the lit barn.

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