The Sluice - composition deconstructed

"The Sluice"

Paper Mill Trail

Watercolor on Paper

This painting is an example of how I've taken different elements from an area to create a composition that isn't exactly what exists in nature, but which still honors the landscape and captures the feeling of the landscape that does exist.  My interpretation of the landscape, so to speak.

The basis of this painting was captured with an on location watercolor sketch (which looks little like this final composition)..  The tree covered hill to the left, the "pond" the sluice (right mid-ground) and the rapids are as was.

The stones in the foreground, do exist but would actually be out of sight to the left and below the edge of the field, forming the wall of one of the canals and a foundation for part of the mill..

The background of the picture, is actually an expanded view from upriver.  The actual view from this spot, wouldn't allow the viewer to go back into the picture.

Hopefully, this scene will feel familiar to those who are familiar with this Mill Street view in Lisbon.  But furthermore, hopefully this scene will touch the memories of those who have grown up near old industrial sites being reclaimed by nature.  If I've really done my job well, this picture will also appeal to people on its merits as a painting.

Lisbon Mill Ruins - reconsidered

Mill Ruins - Lisbon Maine (The sluice)

Old Mills were so common while I was growing up in Westbrook, Maine.  Some have found new life and are being redeveloped and re-purposed.   The same thing is happening in nearby Lewiston.

Since moving to Lisbon Falls in 2003 - three mills in town have been demolished.  These ruins have further been demolished as part of an effort to rehabilitate the river.  I'd started to sketch another mill in nearby Sabattus - and a month later - that was gone too.

This large watercolor was started about a year ago and, as is often the case, was set aside while I worked on other projects.  I then darkened the sky with another rich wash of blue (see the picture on the left below) but that didn't really seem to balance the great deal of activity in the foreground of the painting.   I added some clouds as was (same picture) and lightened the sky.  Back to the revisit bin for a few more months until earlier this week.

I decided to be much more aggressive reworking the sky, to add more dynamic clouds/ patterns and I was happy with how this turned out.  Still a little more work to do, but almost there.

I'll explain the construction of this composition in another post.