Saturday, November 6, 2010

Eleven Mile Late Afternoon

Eleven Mile Late Afternoon
16" x 20" oil on stretched canvas
$495.00 + $20.00 s/h

This is another piece from an afternoon that my husband and I spent at Eleven Mile Reservoir.  In this one I used two of Edgar Payne's composition directives:  S and Diagonal.  If you start at the bottom right hand corner, I want your eye to follow the green grasses into the piece and follow the greens up and over to the reservoir bank then up the water's edge to the small cove in an S.  From there you follow the banks, in another S, but I also lightened the grasses, so your eyes follow the lighter value across the far shore to the small hill and up through the rain to the clouds, which are in the focal point area.  
If you enter the painting from the top left, the clouds and mountain top will send you diagonally across the piece to the small hill and up through the rain to the clouds in the upper right hand focal point.  Then, more diagonals in the clouds will allow your eyes to dance back into the piece and continuously move around.  At least, that was my plan!

14 comments:

LindaHunt said...

Pam, you were successful in your compositional layout! The color is beautiful and the sky is active and luminous! Nice job!

Maria's Watercolor said...

This is a fantastic painting, love the colors you chose and appreciate your thoughts on your composition.

Jan Yates, SCA, Canada said...

this is jaw-dropping Pam--you've really brought everything into this work--with a wee bet of help from Mr. Payne-))

Katherine van Schoonhoven said...

It WORKS! Just as you described. Great scene, color harmonies, and sense of space and air in the space. I like it!

Debbi Smith Rourke said...

Wow, beautiful painting Pam. Your compositional plans worked! And the colors are lively and luminous. Sounds like his workshop was quite inspiring.

Pam Holnback said...

Linda, Thank you. Sometimes when I'm out painting, it's only a matter of making a few changes.

Thank You Marias, So glad to share the thoughts.

Jan, Thanks. Yes, it's just a "wee" bit from Edgar, the rest of course, from me!

Thank you Katherine, So glad that you see it!

Debbi, Thank you! As always, so appreciate your support.

Catherine Jeffrey said...

This is a very pleasing composition and I find my eye comfortably travels around the picture, settling on the lovely cloud reflection in the water. Beautiful!

Ray said...

Pam,

I've followed you for a about a year. Your art is warm and inviting. In theatre we talked about stage right as reinforcing strong emotion and sympathy.

Your painting is a strong reinforcement of that truth. How you work the light and lines just makes us love it. Of course your skills with the brush and the medium strongly enhance the concept of the sympathetic stage right.

Beautifully done. Be very satisfied!

Nancy B. Hartley said...

Pam, love the light, and the composition ideas, just beautiful!

Anonymous said...

Pam, a lovely painting!

Pam Holnback said...

Catherine, Thank you. That's what I want...eye movement!

Thank you Ray! What a comment! So glad that it's stage right!

Nancy, Thanks so much!

Thank you Julie! Appreciate your thoughts!

Laurel Daniel said...

Pam, great work as always!! I loved catching up with you through your past entries. Great work with the compositional focus!!!

Dana Cooper said...

Beautiful color and composition Pam@

Pam Holnback said...

Laurel, thanks so much for stopping by.

Thank you Dana, Always appreciate your thoughts.