Deadfall Along a Brook

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I’ve always loved exploring along rivers and brooks.  This particular composition was not based on any one specific location but rather an amalgam of memories of trips and imagination.  This is an example of how I’m learning to enjoy the opportunities that studio painting does offer. 

I decided to do this subject in acrylic for the simple reason that I’d been focusing on other media (watercolor, charcoal, and oil) and wanted a change.  I also wanted to experiment with different types of underpainting to add more depth and form to the background of the painting.

The photo below shows my first run at the composition (minus the deadfall in the foreground).  I will often get paintings to a point, like this one, where I simply set them to the side and move on to other projects so that I can reconsider the painting with fresh eyes.








16” x 24”

I added the deadfall to help lead the eye into the painting.  I then started considering adding wildlife and or people to the composition.

I considered having a family or couple on the right with a canoe or campsite on the riverbank or a lone figure in the foreground.  Both would present two very different moods for the painting.   I opted for the solitary figure. 
                                 







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