Receding/Repeating

 

My friend Connie took me to a small park overlooking the bay to watch the sunset one evening.  I immediately gravitated to the gumbo limbo trees.  The next day I returned to paint them. 

Overlapping and repeated shapes help the scene recede.  I also noticed the change in color of the two trees.  And of course, the second tree appears thinner which also suggests that it is receding.

The two figures are there to break up the space and give the painting some life.  I used red on one shirt to help draw your eye over to them. The dock acts as a pointer.  The sidewalk also recedes because the area reduces in size as it goes back.  Perspective, therefore, is needed to help with the illusion of receding space.

Someone once asked me if I really think about all these things when I paint or if it's intuitive and I only reflect on them afterwards.  I always have words in my head while I paint.  Deliberation starts with knowledge, and knowledge applied results in deliberate action.  Think while you paint!

Moving Subjects

While deciding what to paint at this location on Anna Maria Island, Florida, pigeons kept congregating around my easel.  I liked their shapes and markings, so I decided to paint them.  Getting the overall silhouette right was most of the problem.  Then trying to depict the markings was the next challenge.  After that, the placement and number of birds to include became a consideration.  I decided to rely on the old tried and true number three, as well as leaving different intervals between the birds.  Giving them different poses provided much needed variety as well.

Trying to paint moving objects requires patience and prolonged study.  I looked at the strutting pigeons for half an hour before attempting the drawing.  First the shapes, then the poses, then the intervals. 

Good luck!

On the Thirds

Composing a painting should rely on more than just reproducing the actual scene.  A few days before I composed this painting, I sketched a palm tree at a local restaurant.  There are palm trees outside my room, so I used that reference to add to the composition of the painting.  The birdhouses are part of the landscape outside my balcony, so it was easy to combine the two.

Placement then became the important part of the decision to place the two elements.  I've always chosen to follow the traditional compositional idea of placing the important subjects on the thirds. 
The palm tree on the left and the birdhouse on the right are both on the third areas. 

Paint what you love, but think with your brain!