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| The Maple Tree, Oil on panel, 17 X 14", |
It started out as a
dots and dashes drawing from life--with the intention of maybe turning it into an oil painting. After I got a nice pile of these 'candidates', I planned to make a selection and stick a few down to panels. Poof. Instant painting cartoons. After a bunch of underwashes and some color daubs, this began piece to take shape. The point is, it was done in the studio, primarily from the field notes and memory. Very interesting way to work.
18 comments:
Bill this is absolutely sublime on so many levels! The stillness and stature and remarkable presence.the colour, textures and variations in your greens especially--as they say here in Flensburg: Moin Moin!
Outstanding play of greens Bill and point of view--from a height eight or nine feet above ground level. Time well spent. All that layering of washes paid off. Isn't it amazing how much blue is in foliage?
Doing things from memory can be quite difficult, but you did and excellent painting with trees very well-distinguished from one another despite the lush greens. And the density of the foliage is just wow! Beautiful! Maple trees ( Acer) are fabulous, specially in autumn where a lot of them turn red/yellow/orange. My favorites.
Hugs.
I think this is so beautiful, Bill! I am a tree love and this piece just sings to me.
very good paintings : )
I am having such a time posting comments from my new smart phone (that is smarter than me). When I first saw your painting on my small phone, it looked like a photograph. It is amazing to me how real it looked given your indirect process. But then seeing the painting on the big screen, it has all the wonderful painterly elements too. Just beautiful. Neat that you do representational and nonrepresentational paintings. (I also saw your last post last week by the way and did not have time to say that it was very interesting seeing your professional working method).
HI Jan--When we moved in 30 years ago there was a huge round maple in front of this one, which was an emaciated thing going straight up with no room to spread out. Always felt kind of sorry for it--and then the other one just gave up the ghost and was taken out. Now this tree has taken its place with its stature and presence as you say. Its a wonderful, triumphant story In a way. Thanks for noticing.
Linda--I know, there is so much going on in "green" it's mind-numbing. In addition to blues being amazing, I've always been impressed by the amount of reds in green foliage. I suppose that's what I wanted to explore here with the warm undertones. The whole thing became quite a balancing act, along with keeping the brush work looking fresh. I'm looking just above the six ft privacy fence across my neighbor's yard. Your observation of the scene starting nine ft off the ground is quite accurate. Good call.
Hi Jane--I have been becoming increasing aware of the very slight difference in green 'attitude', one plant to the other. It amazes me that you can look at a forest, and still be able to distinguish each tree by these slight color shifts.
I may not be done with exploring this, along with the crazy shifts in direction that each leaf system assumes. It makes for quite a riotous good time, albeit in disguise as a simple tree scene. Love the hugs! Thanks. Hugs back.
Hi Sherri--Sometimes I worry about my art not having enough man made stuff--only trees etc. What the heck, I guess I'm a tree lover too. Thanks for the note.
Hi Sadeu--Thanks for you wonderful comment--and welcome. Glad you dropped by.
Hi Dan--I barely know what a smart phone is, I'm an actual dinosaur. That said, I did go to a new crabbing spot at 4:00 yesterday morning, and trying to read my map that I printed out. My buddy's kid whipped out the iphone with the flashlight app and helped me out. A little while later he just brought up the very same nautical map, illuminated, and when I said I can't see it he swished his fingers across it and it was three times bigger that the one I printed. Then he punches up an up to the minute weather map and activates the storm progress animation showing when the heavy rain will hit us--exactly. And I thought I was hot stuff printing out my own maps. Smartphone? Humph. Add it to the list.
Thanks for your kind comments, all the best.
Excellent!
Many points, but I especially love the abstract and overall design. Bully!!(that means "great")
Ah-- Thanks Casey--means a lot...
No way for you to know, but this is what I see in Big Bear every single day. So cool!
John
gosh, ♥ this!
this makes my drawing looks stupid...
:)
Hi John--Must be frustrating! Time to cut them off so you can see the lake? This is actually a view down a back alley, Those three cypress trees are on the other side of the alley down in the nest block. I'm surrounded by green scenes like this thankfully. If it was ever cut down I couldn't live here--no lake.
Hi Mita--Thanks. You mean the golden goose with human dancer's legs trying to keep from laying the golden egg--that drawing? I liked it, of course. Great design and a nice vigorous style. The statement is poignant given the current state of political idiocy being played out in the world's economy. Love that icon! Hope the hand cramp clears up.
wow---this is impressive..those varying greens! wow!
Thanks C--Have a great day!
What a lovely painting. I'm impressed how you've been able to create a sense of depth and shape using only the leaf and tree forms and the sky beyond. Very cool!
Hi DB--Thanks. Great comment. All the different directions and patterns in the leaves massings have been an interest of mine for a long time. I never thought of them creating depth though. Interesting observation. Best.
Am especially captivated by the color of the sky, which is only seen in the actual sky and in abandoned motel swimming pools.
Alright Sipp, perhaps it is a bit intense. I had to fiddle with it a little to keep it from being too green. This is closest I could get to the actual painting. That blue color is almost impossible to reproduce. You may have struck a chord here--very perceptive.
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