Close Up, oil on gessobord, 6x8"
I have so many pictures of these lake banks to choose from so I guess I will have to paint them all until I am able to get outside more. Each cattail paintings I have and am working on, even though different, is allowing me to work on several things:
1) more abstraction
2) more gestural painting (perfect subject matter for this)
3) the push/pull of background vs. foreground
One thing in particular in regards to #3, that is allowing me to stay fresh with the subject matter, is the darker foreground colors of nature vs. the lighter, pastel, and often stark white of the background. I am having to work very hard not to make everything the same value, which, unfortunately is easily done, and causes everything to appear washed out. Adding the right amount of contrast (which is always there in nature even if you don't see it at first glance) is taking extra effort and thought. I am lingering longer at what I think is a finished painting, and then working more.
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