White Pine River

"White Pine River", 4"w x 12"h

Instead of complaining about how cold the weather is here in Duluth this past week, I thought I'd post a summer painting of white pines along a lazy flowing river somewhere north of here. As I paint, there are works that have a natural satisfaction to them as I complete them, and there are works in progress as I like to call them, works that don't feel right. This was one of those in progress pieces, titled White Pine River, one that I wasn't sure was going to ever take off. I struggled with the sky, as you view the top of the piece, you'll see a deep cobalt sky, and it was just too dark for me. At one point, I wanted to start over, the whole piece was just too dark, but I took it as an opportunity to just load the paint on the canvas and see what happens. When it was all said and done, this piece was my favorite of the three in this series that I'll be posting here in the next couple of days. Because I started dark in color and added several layers, I achieved a depth of texture in this piece that may actually influence my work going forward. It's that time of year that I reflect on what I've accomplished in the past year, and going forward into a new year, there just may be some depth of color and texture that will give my work the visual punch I so often desire. Now, if only I could walk along this white pine river for a while, in the summer heat, listening to the water splash and tumble along the rocks, listening to the wind rustle through the pine needles ... please contact Riverwood Gallery in Eau Claire, WI for more information on today's piece.