Arches National Park; North Window

North Window

Painting No. 1-D-13

16" x 20" oil on canvas

 

About a week ago I drove into Arches National Park after a full day of rain storms and painted a small plein air sketch on location at the arch known as the North Window. Once back in the studio I reworked the composition of the Juniper trees, the small wash, and Sagebrush. At the suggestion of Tim Morse I added a couple distant clouds to draw the eye through the opening. The composition is the classic Edgar Payne "O" pattern, with the help of the Junipers for scale. 

The Silo's of Carson Valley

Painting No. 134,The Silo's of Carson Valley Carson Valley, Nevada
6"x 8", oil on linen board
October 12, 2011

I finally found time to paint yesterday. It's been nearly a month since the last opportunity.

Not far from my house is a row of local farms near the highway, where these 3 silos have stood for as long as I've lived here ( 38 years yikes!).
The afternoon light was low and clean. Notice that the silos and the foreground brushline form an "L" shape, this on one of the standards composition shapes as described by Edgar Payne. Notice also that without the strong silos in the middle ground that this painting of fields and mountains would be quite boring. I try to add a strong vertical element if possible in each painting to add excitement. Also notice the long mountain shadow extending in from the right side of the painting. This is common effect here in Carson Valley. I think I did a good job of getting the mountain detail inside and outside of the mountain shadow.