Horse barn and view

[jmmur]

Two mornings from the past weekend, 14 x 11 oils on homemade canvas boards. Limited palette. The horse barn was painted a bit thinner than I usally do. Started with a thin medium purple grey wash and worked into that. Made it look a bit softer. I often overlook the people/animals in a scene but I tried to add the horses. Both were mostly painted with a #12 brush.

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/16-Feb-2010/200975-barn_7808.jpg

The second was painted thicker
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/16-Feb-2010/200975-view_7821.jpg

Thanks for looking, John

[LarrySeiler]

like that first one especially, John..and good to see a painter not afraid to use and stick with a larger brush...

It may be your style...some painters paint in a high key...to state something emotive or moody, low key etc., which then often accounts why the broad small range of values. That is then an aesthetic choice...but, if it is not a conscious aesthetic choice, I might suggest to push late light a bit stronger.

I believe it is late light you are suggesting in that first painting...but the lighter values of the darks IMO are working against the power of the potential drama ...pushed, we say something greater about the light at that time of day...

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/17-Feb-2010/532-johnlatelightcrit.jpg

just a thought anyway...

[jmmur]

Hi Larry,

Thanks for your comments. Excuse my ignorance but I assume "late light" refers to end of day light as opposed to "first light" meaning morning light?

These both were painted in "first light" not sure if that makes a difference as to what you are suggesting. (The pictures are a bit washed out as well) Your example definitely feels more like "last light".

The light when I painted this was very soft and the background misty. My hues/values seemed to be getting lighter lately so I'm not fighting it, I seem to see colors differently lately. Maybe it's all the books on impressionism I've been looking at lately? Just using blue, red, yellow and white.

John