Solving Design Issues - Barn

Mesilla Valley Barn

6x8in oil on canvas panel $135.

Purchase HERE

Artist Note.

Painting on location is 

valuable as a way to 

record the colors and shapes,

but rarely do you get a really

good composition in your sight-line. 

Taking photos with the 

zoom can help, but even then I find I may 

like part of the pic, but not all 

of it. Here is a 

simple but excellent

way to help focus on getting 

an improved design.

First, divide your surface

(any shape) in half 

horizontally and vertically.

You now have four quarters.

The idea is not to have any of the 

quarters match,  meaning - 

too similar in value

 or color pattern

Below are the four quarters

from my landscape above. 

You can see when split 

this way they are all 

completely different. 

Or in Julie parlance...

No matchy matchy!

This is top left...

Top right

this is lower left

lower right.

The painting below by a fellow 

guild member is a good example 

of a plein air painting which

has captured the place really well

-it looked exactly like this -

but, look at the horizontal

bands of similar

shapes and colors. 

Also 

an uninteresting rectangle

exists right in the center.

Lets see if the design 

can be improved.

I took a piece of glass and 

placed it over the painting.

I did a quick line down 

and across the center.

Before

I didn't touch the sky or mountains

but started the changes 

just below them.

Notice how I broke up the 

three similar bush shapes, 

top left, by placing a lighter 

 ground color 

weaving in and out across 

the horizon

Next I  lowered the bottom 

of the green bushes 

near mid center, 

bringing them closer.

Then I placed a stronger value 

of  the front weeds to continue

the strong angle. 

Remember the whole 

purpose is to make 

each quarter a different

pattern of light and dark, or color

than each of the others.
BUT STILL LINKING AS A WHOLE.

after changes

piece of glass showing 

each quarter with the different

marks.

I was taught this at Art School 

in England as part of a course

on Alternation,

but I have not seen or read about

it being used anywhere else. 

I do not know why. 

It is simple and effective

Easy to try this method with an older 

painting you have not been quite 

satisfied with.
Do I use it all the time?
Nope!
But it sure comes in handy when
trying to figure out a way to improve
a painting.
Hope you try it.

Sunset Reflections

Sunset Reflections

 8x8in oil on canvas panel  SOLD

The Rio Grande River is the main source of water 

for the beautiful Mesilla Valley, NM, where I live.

Many irrigation ditches divert the water to

the small farms which grow

chilies, onions, cotton, pecans, 

corn and yes...even wine.

The sunsets here are gorgeous, making even the 

oldest farms beautiful in their glow.

Artist Note.

Mission:

Create a sense of place without detail.

 Simple, abstract shapes and color

were formed using palette knife and brush.

Partially Complete

House in the Valley.

14x11in  oil on canvas

I am posting this even though I have not finished it.
It is larger than the usual work I post so need to
spend more time with it.
This is a house along a road in the rural Mesilla Valley
near Las Cruces. I was driving by when I saw it nestled
in the trees and backed up to take a photo with my phone.
I love having a camera on the phone because I always
take the phone with me where ever I go.

Artist Note.

I start Monday (3rd) with my very first workshop on the Fracturing
Technique and some of the artists are arriving in town this afternoon.
I am excited and nervous
at the same time.   I love teaching and want to do a good job but this
is the first one on the Fracturing.
I am doing a second one next week
and should have it under my belt by then.
I will try and post some of demos and work, but if you do
not see anything posted from me for the next few days
you will know why.

Farm in the Valley

Farm in the Mesilla Valley

6x8in oil on canvas panel   $125. SOLD

This was very quickly done on location and "tweaked" in the studio.
It was a very beautiful day and the pecan orchards at the back of the fields
still have their leaves.


Artist Note.

The "tweaking" part was the foreground. I had an even space
either side the larger front bush. See below. I try and stay away
from even spacing with either positive or negative shapes.
I used my painting knife to smoosh some of the paint from
the smaller bush sideways into the larger one, but I had to
mix more paint and create a new shape. Once I did that
I started making small adjustments here and there, and had
to force myself to stop. I know you all understand the
need to to do that. I could go on piddling forever and
completely lose the plein air freshness.

The Alfalfa Fields

The Alfalfa Fields

6x8in oil on canvas  100.

The brilliant emerald greens of the Alfalfa fields never ceases to amaze me. Imagine the contrast next to the soft, neutral colors of the desert.

The Mesilla Valley supports a large and growing dairy industry and they need lots of alfalfa.  It has been successfully grown here for over 150 years.

A downside to the dairy industry comes when you have to drive the several miles past them on Rt 10.  I admit to burying my nose into a handkerchief!

Artist Note:

I cheated with this painting because there was not any water in the Rio Grande today. I have painted it enough to know it always reflects the color of the sky and clouds from this vantage point.

Valley Path

Valley Path

6x8in  oil on canvas board   100.

The Mesilla Valley, New Mexico, is a beautiful area.
It is a  farming valley producing chili, onions, pima cotton and has large pecan orchards. Having enough water is getting to be a problem because we have been in a drought. Because of this, more and more of the farmers are selling their land to developers. This has slowed down since the down-turn in the economy, but no doubt will be back as strong as ever when housing picks up again.
This is a path running near the Rio Grande River. The tree is past the beautiful golden stage and is turning towards a rust . We have started with heavy winds and a change of weather so tomorrow all the leaves will be gone.  December is here.