trees and rocks progress april




















I did some more work on the trees and rocks today.

I decided that the sky needed quite a lot of white in it to tie it in with the land and to act as a foil for the tracery of branches. I also wanted to lose the edges at little where the sky meets the snow at the sides of the canvas. I feel it has taken a step forward, though it still has a way to go.

I'll bring a bit of blue sky down from the top in a loose V shape, echoing but to the right of, the gap. That will create a deeper tone around the top of the tree trunk, reducing contrast, so that it doesn't shoot the gaze straight out of the top of the painting.

There are sludgy olive colours in the bark of the foreground tree now, along with the blue greys and purples. I still have more work to do on this though.

There are more variations in colour than show in the photograph as I had to use flash.

Size 40x40ins oil on canvas

details:








Comments

kate said…
I like the way you have painted the tree and branches - they remind me of batik. Very eye-catching...
8:27 pm
vivien said…
thanks :)

it has a way to go yet .... I may take part in a project with a group I belong to on Picasso (not my favourite and I haven't made up my mind to take part yet) - I could put this in as 'blue period' influenced!!! or I may take it to the gallery at the coast.
8:56 pm
Robyn Sinclair said…
Vivien - you could have titled this post - View this and Weep! It is so beautiful with its subtle changes of colour, the crisp startling white of the snow and the divine tracery of branches and twigs. So I'm weeping with delight at the beauty - but more likely because it confronts me with the impossibility of my ever achieving a painting like this.
2:41 pm
vivien said…
oh my goodness! what a lovely thing to say :)

it seems to be taking forever as I can't paint when the light is gloomy (just a 'me' thing) and don't like painting at night - add waiting for paint to dry to the equation .....

... and the thing that appeals to me most to get on with is always the thing with the longest deadline!
4:49 pm
jafabrit said…
this is really coming along beautifully. I really like the angles and composition.
1:09 am
vivien said…
thanks Jafa :)
11:06 am
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