Smooth Sailing 10x10" Oil on Canvas

[Richard Robinson]

"Smooth Sailing" 10x10" Oil on Canvas by Richard Robinson

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Dug out some old photos today and painted this one. Wanted to have something more substantial with crisp edges to paint to contrast all the loose/expressive painting I've been playing with and I think this is a nice compromise. What do you think?

[Richard Robinson]

Yeah it's funny because the horizon in the photo I used was even higher and I agree with you it wouldn't look out of place much lower either - weird.

[Michael J. Severin]

Richard, This painting has great contrasts of value, color, edges, and temperature .... very masterfully executed.  I do have trouble though reading your high horizon line.  (I hope I am not overstepping here, as your student?)  Anyway, at first I thought the distant sailboat was a cloud until I took a closer look.  To me, your high horizon line throws the painting out of balance and makes the water stand up as a vertical backdrop.  I keep wanting to see the horizon line and boats below the center of the canvas or the distant boats not there at all, or just a vertical line hinting of a distant sail?...  and I cannot tell you why...just my feeling.  Your initial concept was to contrast the relatively precise brushstrokes and crisp edges of the main boat  with your expressive brushwork in the rest of the painting ..and that was certainly accomplished.  The addition of the large distant sailboat, in my opinion, competes with the simplicity of this part of the painting.   I do not think it necessary to go any further then the large foreground boat..it tells the story nicely all by itself??? 

[Adriana Guidi]

I love this one! I do love the crisp edges and the figures as well!