About Town: Stages of a Painting: The River Beyond the Town, Part Four

November 21, 2010

Autumn has taken over my consciousness.  The early nights are eliminating my favorite outdoor painting time, and the red, orange and yellow leaves have become The Way the World Is.  I've got a fair amount of green foliage in the photo I'm using, but it doesn't seem right to do a summer painting right now.  Autumn leaves have come into the painted world as they have to the real world.  When I'm finished they'll make a wonderful contrast with the blue sky, as they do in reality. The trees are giving me some nice diagonals now, giving more energy to the composition.

The clouds have taken on a more autumn/winter look too, with deep shadows in some places.  As I look from my bare Stage Three painting to this one, I feel the new sense of enclosure from the clouds and the foliage.  It's a cozy feeling.

I've worked on the cars as well as I could from my photo, which I took with my cell phone.   Although I adore almost everything about the phone, it seems that its camera was designed by descendants of Seurat, with vague pointillist dots in many areas.  Since cars are a rare subject for me, I'll have to consult another photo to finish them.  I don't want them too clear anyway.  They're a part of the composition, but not a main subject.

My unknown passerby has shown up in the distance, vaguely sketched.  I may move him. Sometimes I like to try things out before I make the final decision.  The windows have more depth in this version since I darkened parts of them and added some details. 

Next time I'll continue adding details and adjusting contrasts.  Will it be finished then?  I'm not sure.  Sometimes I spend many sessions on a painting.  I keep going until nothing else that seems necessary, however long that takes.

You can find more of Ronnie Levine's artwork at her website: www.rivertownpainter.com