Aug 16 - Finished, and News on "Roadie"

Finished now, this painting holds the viewer's eye on several levels. Here's what I note about the work (and you can apply these thoughts to your own work, if you like).
1. The horizon line is a bit above the middle, so there is more "ground" to draw you in, and it makes for a peaceful, easy feeling to the work, unlike placing the HL too far from the midpoint of the canvas.
2. Color harmony is guaranteed by the use of the Color System and staying with the yellow-green/violet color scheme of morning light, and that is set off by the only orange in the painting on the horse's hide.
3. Angled lines of perspective (the road) are counter balanced by the horizontals and verticals of buildings, shadows and tree trunks.
4. Textural brushwork unifies the painting as all areas are handled loosely, except for select hard edges to control the viewer's path through the composition.

This painting will be heading for Kentucky to the American Academy of Equine Art's Fall Show, since it was accepted in the jurying process.

Technical Tips: I just pick a random book off my library shelf and open it to be constantly reminded of how much I really DON'T know. Here's one, digested down from pages of text from David Friend's Composition.
A painting is like a play or music--it is only as strong as its structure. Establishing a dominant two-dimensional geometric shape motif as a structure for your work can help overcome the issues that arise later when working on those pesky details. We've all seen work where the details are the message, and the structure of the painting is weak. Solve the structure issues FIRST, then play in the details.

Update on "Roadie/Rhoda/Roadside" (pick your fave, she'll answer to 'em all): She's been to the vet, had all her inoculations and baby teeth pulled, is spayed and now has moved into my heart and home. I know that dogs live in the moment (we can learn much from them), so only I can imagine what her future might have been on the side of that hot, dusty road.

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