Local landmarks

                                            The Footbridge
Every town has them.  Landmarks that are so iconic that every artist in the area has painted them a dozen times.  So how do you get a new angle on an old subject? 

1. Zoom in.   Most of the time we put in far too much subject matter and the landmark gets lost in the crowd.

2.  Limit your palette.

3.  Add figures.

4. Let other buildings "frame" the landmark. 
 I once saw a painting of the Missouri State Capitol framed by the opening in a close-up barn.  I never forgot the image.

5. Soften or eliminate the background.

Here's a local landmark in Boothbay Harbor, Maine....The Footbridge House.