Daily #75.. and a re-do of an older one

mtnrunner · #1 04-05-2012, 01:18 PM

Arroyo, Dry Season, 8x10 oil/panel

We cross this little arroyo on some of our "winter training ground" trails. When we're socked in with snow up here, we can drive down about 30 minutes and lose 2000 feet of elevation and run on dry dirt. Every time we pass by here I tell myself "I should paint that". So, I finally did. About 2 hours worth (sorry about the upper lefthand glare)

And, an older one has been sitting around in the studio after getting smeared, waiting for me to fix it. I decided to change up the foreground. used to have a feather - I liked the feather, but felt having the pot (gourd, actually) sitting so close to the edge of a table made it too crowded, so I painted out the feather and added one of my Santa Clara pueblo black seed pots, and my turquoise necklace and cross.

evartpat · #2 04-05-2012, 01:23 PM

Both are beautiful, but I especially like the still life...

**Catherine1** · #3 04-05-2012, 01:28 PM

Deb.. Deb.. Deb.. ::cluck cluck cluck:: Bet you have little gems hidden all over the house just waiting for touch ups.. Bad girl for not sharing sooner! Its a wonderful painting of form and light!

So is your desert scene!!! I enjoy your work so much!

KJSieloff · #4 04-05-2012, 02:25 PM

Beautiful!!! Both of them!!!

Colorfur Critters · #5 04-05-2012, 03:01 PM

These are both excellent!

chewie · #6 04-05-2012, 09:21 PM

wow, the first one has amazing light and the still life is so REAL but yet so painterly. wow.

**jennaboo88** · #7 04-05-2012, 10:05 PM

Deb, I am so glad you finally painted the scene you pass by so often. What a beautiful place! I can feel the warm sun on my back looking at it. Excellent! I love it.

I'm also very happy you finished this still life. Wow, what a beautiful painting! There's so much depth that I feel like I can pick the items in the composition up. So glad you posted it.

Well done!

Lisa M · #8 04-06-2012, 08:36 AM

Ditto--I love that still life. I stared at it forever the first time I saw it. I thought it was already perfect!!

KJSieloff · #9 04-06-2012, 10:41 AM

Deb,

I got interrupted yesterday when I responded to this, so I just wanted to tell you my initial reaction to this.

When I opened this post, the first thing that hit me was "WOW!!! Look at the sunlight!!" I love the arroyo! I like the still life, but I REALLY like the light in the arroyo.

Kate

Kate

mollerman · #10 04-06-2012, 02:00 PM

Stellar work Deb!!!

Donald_Smith · #11 04-09-2012, 07:04 AM

Deb,

Both are very beautiful!

Remember that rule of 1/3 and 2/3 we were talking about? Well the back ground in the still life is 1/2 and 1/2 and the pot is centered on the 1/2 as well. Just an observation, not a C&C. I would like to see the painting with the background have a more gradual shift from light to dark. While the edge is soft, it is sudden. On the other hand, I like the dramatic lighting effect too. I'm just ramblin, ignore me and I'll go away.

Donald

mtnrunner · #12 04-09-2012, 04:31 PM

thanks, Kate.. the light IS sort of the big idea there....

gracias, Marcus!
Donald.. I thought about ignoring you.

The "thirds" rule is just referring to an object that is near the edge of your canvas. better to have something 1/3 showing or 2/3 showing, rather than half of it... just one of those artistic things...

There really are very few "rules" - more like tried and true principles.. the more we understand them, and why they are there, then the more we can flaunt them and (maybe) get away with it....

Salute to our Partners