Breaker - Cape Elizabeth
Oil on Canvas Board 12" x 16"
This painting is currently on display in the members show at River Arts Gallery in Damriscotta through August 15th.
Here you will find art for sale, journals and videos, as well as other sources of inspiration I've discovered along the way. The past 30 years of painting and the people I've met along the way have made an incalculable difference in my life. If you aren't already painting - get out and give it a try. you won't regret it.
Lessons Learned - Is your painting complete or it it finished?
Ammonnoosuc River - Watercolor on Paper
I did some detail work on my large watercolor of the Ammonnoosuc River in Northwestern New Hampshire. On the lower left, was the early pass at the subject. I will, from time to time, revisit a subject. As I had left the picture, it struck me as close to what I was trying to achieve, but overall too dark. It was accurate feel for the day and time, but the river didn't match the sky. I decided to just leave things as they were for the time being to get some distance. Often in Nature - there are times and locations that are quite interesting and moving, but they don't necessarily translate into a strong composition or painting without some artistic license.
There were parts of the picture that seemed flat to me, not enough of a difference in value. I wanted to increase the interest throughout the picture while not confusing the eye with too much detail. I remember vividly my first art show many years ago. I was not really ready to show - but I went for it anyway.
I walked the grounds and viewed the works of other artists and I found myself to be exhausted by the end as I was focusing on every detail I could. I didn't really understand the lessons I was learning at the time. The eye is naturally drawn to detail. How to balance detail with leaving much up to the viewers imagination?
Years later I went to an exhibition of NC Wyeth, Howard Pyle, and Andrew Wyeth at the Farnsworth in Rockland, Maine. It was a breathtaking exhibition and really a master class on both composition and using, or avoiding, detail to draw the viewers eye to the intended center of interest. What I noticed immediately was that these paintings were at once very dramatic and moving, yet very "relaxing" to view. I wasn't searching the center of interest - it was clear in each and every painting. It wasn't really until the second or third pass through the exhibition that I began to notice the areas of a painting that were merely indicated with a minimum of brushstrokes and subdued values.
I brightened the sky to bring it into line with the river in the mid ground and darkened the water in the shadows in the foreground. and I also did some more variances in value throughout all the areas of the picture to add depth and interest.
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Detail Left Detail Center Detail Right
I also added some shadows to the rocks in the foreground and added more variance in the values on the small island. It is a challenge to know when enough is enough with any subject. Sometimes one brushstroke can be just what a painting needs to bring it to life, or it can ruin a subject. As Bob Harris (Robert George Harris (1911-2007) Artist and Illustrator) advised me:
"It's important to know when a painting is done before it is finished!"
None of this is meant in any way to detract from interest or pursuit of highly detailed paintings or Trompe l'oeil paintings. Those types of paintings are simply not an area of interest for me - at this time. I do believe that every type of painting, every attempt, informs my work on my next painting. If you can express what you want to - what moves you, I don't believe that there is a "wrong" way to approach that painting.
Rocks and Wildflowers Round 2
Rocks and Wildflowers - 2nd Pass
Acrylic 12" x 16"
Rocks and Wildflowers Two Lights
The picture above left was the first pass at the painting, the picture on the right is the finished painting.
In addition to adding the wildflowers, I also did a little color work in the rocks, and some slight compositional changes to the water , rocks, and shrubs which I think made the composition a bit more dramatic.
I may even scale this painting up to an 18" by 24" or a 24" x 36" There are so many compositional possibilities let along different seasons.
I've included a link to the previous post which describes a bit more about the genesis of this particular painting below.
http://robertkahlerlandscapepaintings.blogspot.com/2020/07/rocks-and-wildflowers.html
Rocks and Wildflowers
Rocks and Wildflowers
Two lights
Acrylic 12" x 16"
This is my latest Acrylic Painting of a composition that is a common sight in and around Two Lights. I explained the process to this point in another post if you are interested in learning about methods for creating painting. Below I've put the large charcoal drawing (12" x 18") side by side with the Acrylic
When I had reached a stopping point in the main painting, I decided to quickly sketch out some other ideas from my trip with leftover paint on 4" by 6" note cards.
Sketch " x 6"
I really enjoy these quick sketches. I learn a lot from them with very little time invested. For instance, in the painting above, the ocean seems to "run off" the picture to the left. Through the placement of rocks or shrubs I will reverse that so that it leads the eye into the painting and not out of it. It's a win win. I don't waste paint and I get to explore ideas in a much looser manner.
Surf Sketch 4" x 6"
Scale of Sketches
Two Lights, Cape Elizabeth
Comprehensive Charcoal Drawing
Between the Rocks and Sea
Two Lights Cape Elizabeth
12" x 18"
Although I don't have any single process for creating a painting, this subject has progressed in a fairly typical way of late. Spending time on location is always motivating. I make a number of quick notes and sketches on note cards in addition to simply spending some time walking a location and observing. I've begun using note cards for these sketches as they fit into a travel kit very easily.
Pencil notes from direct observation 4" x 5"
I then review a number of sketches and decide which subject to elaborate. See below.
Pencil Comp Sketch
8" x 11"
Years ago I had a happy accident when looking through some old sketches - they were on top of one another and at times created new and interesting compositions. So I now will intentionally crop drawings to examine other possibilities. When I'm on location, its still easy for me to get caught up in the scene and not seeing things from a perspective of composition.
I plan to execute a number of paintings from this drawing including watercolor, acrylic, and oil. I enjoy exploring different media as the unique qualities of each capture different elements of nature.
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