For this exercise I chose a soft landscape, taking a particularly pleasing view from a gateway, I was intrigued by the shapes of the distant rolling hills framed by the distinctive trees either side and a contrasting metal gateway giving some perspective.
Using acrylic paint I began by shaping and blocking in the basic shapes, then adding some further detail as the painting took shape. I was interested more in the colours both in their distinctiveness and contrast.
As the painting developed it began to take on a life of its own, colours becoming more unrealistic and hills developing with a mind of their own. I wasn’t prepared for the scene to change on its own, to take on its own personality and I stopped before Id really completed it, more detail in the near left tree and lower shrub are needed
I find the overall feeling of the painting neither surreal or expressionist yet neither realistic either. Without either direction I couldn’t finish it.
However, I learnt a great deal from this attempt, only my 2nd landscape. I like the unrealistic hills, clean lines and bright colours, especially the way in which the painting draws me in to the centre, the distant telegraph poles, although wonky in reality and therefore in my painting still giving some sense of perspective and distance.
I found this painting difficult, overambitious perhaps given the complex scene and large scale and my confidence wavered.
I also found that with prolonged gaps between painting sessions that as the acrylic dried becoming ever harder it became difficult to restart and continue painting in to it.
OCA Painting 1 Learning Log 