2013! New Year’s morning is always a nice time to go out painting because there is nobody around. This was painted over a painting from the summer (I think) that I didn’t like. I still don’t like it.
acrylic, 10×20″
This location is why I bought these elongated panels because it’s always a tough scene for me to compose and I just can’t capture the space adequately. I had included a lot of specifics and really didn’t like it so I got a little sloppy and repainted it. It’s a small improvement, but I’m still losing interest in plein air painting. It feels stuck uncomfortably between realism and abstraction. I want to push it further towards abstraction but on a cliff above the river overlooking a beautiful vista I feel bullied by the scene and feel forced to kneel before the spectacle. It’s too beautiful. My painting could never do justice to the beauty.
And with those improvements you did capture the mood of a overcast cold day. I think its good.
Thanks Patrick.
There’s a nice painting still in there Hank, don’t give up on it.. The left side is especially nice. I might be tempted to crop it to 10×10″.. What do you think?
Thanks Jeff. Cropping could probably help it. This is always a tough location for me. There are 3 or 4 different areas or focal points I like here but I usually fall into a trap of trying to get everything into one panorama. The only successful paintings I have from this spot are isolated sections where I find something visually interesting so cutting the painting in half would certainly benefit both halves.