"Welcome" - 10x8" - Oil in Board
Price: $150





State Highway 1 - very LOUD!

 

Yesterday morning a great mist lay over the land so I rushed out on my bike with backpack on searching for a location to show off the mist to its best effect. Unfortunately by the time I settled on this scene the sun had burnt most of the mist away but you can still see a touch of it in the background.

 

First of all I loved the colour in the trees and I was thinking a lot about how much more dramatic a colorful scene is when it's set against a gray background. I was also thinking about the nice soft edges I was getting in my recent watercolours and focusing on trying to make the sunlit building glow as much as possible. To do that I used a brown for the thin shadows on the sunlit side instead of the much darker shadow colours I was actually seeing. You know how when you look through branches at the sun all those closer to the sun tend to get burned out and dissolve into the light? Same principal with a brightly lit object - which is a light source itself, so I think of it as a glowing light.

Here's what I think will look better if I do a larger painting of this...

 

 

And here are some notes I jotted about what to change...

Keep 'welcome' sign and foreground out of focus.

Keep far edges of main trees out of focus.

Maximize soft and hard edges.

Put figure and dog far down driveway with red top on.

Put in a couple of wobbly fence posts on right side of drive leading in.

Pay more attention to the light branch shapes.

Oh in case you're wondering why I called it Welcome, when the sign says "Keep Out", I intend to change the sign to say "Welcome" if I paint a larger version - the sign seemed a bit rude to me, I mean just look at that inviting driveway!

 

Catch you later,

Richard.

 

 

 

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Comment by Merewyn Heath on June 10, 2011 at 23:40
Correction - I see it says "keep out" - still feel the same regarding  it being included :)  Perhaps turning it slightly at an angle would de-emphasize focus there and the surface perspective gained would further point viewer eyes toward the scene if desired. All hairsplitting though since I feel this is so lovely as is.
Comment by Merewyn Heath on June 10, 2011 at 23:31

Super colors in this one in my opinion. I like it very much! I like the intrigue introduced by the sign - uncertain if it's welcoming or otherwise so it adds a point of interest for me. Lovely painting - really like your touch on this one.


Comment by Richard Robinson on June 10, 2011 at 21:09
yeah a country mailbox sounds like a great idea - thanks Lyndon!
Comment by Lyndon Baxter on June 10, 2011 at 19:35

Richard, I very much like the colours you've used in this painting but I found the original one a little confusing as far as a focal point is concerned. The left hand tree and the water in the track and white dot on the post, I think are distracting.

Far better composition in the smaller version I feel, if I may make a suggestion ... bin the sign completely or substitute a country mailbox if you think it needs something there.

Well that's my 5 cents worth, keep up the good stuff!

Comment by Karlo Bonacic on June 9, 2011 at 19:17

Beautifful painting !

Comment by Dan Lancaster-Kelly on June 9, 2011 at 6:53
hi to all member,looking forward to seeing your comments,oyna dan
Comment by Marinda Coetzee on June 8, 2011 at 22:32

LOVE the painting!  Especially the warm orange tones against the cool, grey sky.  I also like the bit of sun "warming" the patch of grass and part of the shed.  

Nicely done!!

Comment by Dan Lancaster-Kelly on June 8, 2011 at 16:28
hi richard,really nice painting.dan
Comment by Tony Kucera on June 8, 2011 at 11:28

Very nice,i like it the shape with color,looks like after rain.Tony

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