Trite Subjects

Barns, covered bridges, irises, and, yes, lighthouses can all be such favored subjects that if something doesn't distinguish them from the thousands of others that viewers have seen, the painting can be so predictable that even if it is accurately rendered, there maybe a ho-hum factor. It could be strong colors, a very loose, painterly treatment, an unusual vantage point, an interesting framing device or a fragmentation of the subject that give the subject new energy.

I once saw a very clever painting of the Missouri State Capitol off in the distance, seen through the openings in an old barn which took up most of the perimeter of the painting. It gave a new twist on both the capitol building and the barn.

Here is my take on the lighthouse at Pemaquid Point, Maine.