Monday, June 30, 2008

Putting the Pieces Together: The Monday Landscape Challenge


The thing about painting horses is that, sooner or later, you're going to have to paint landscapes. We horses artists tend to avoid them for as long as we can - just like we usually do our best to avoid painting figures! I've done a few plein air landscape courses, and gone on the odd paint-out, but normally I get so wrapped up in painting my horse-themed work that I neglect devoting some time to landscapes, specifically.

Last week fellow EAGer Carrie Lewis and I decided to do a "landscape challenge." In 2007, Carrie did a landscape-a-day challenge on her own, painting an ACEO (Art Cards Editions and Originals - 2.5 x 3.5 inch paintings, in other words, tiny!) each weekday. I haven't signed up for that big a commitment, but we settled on a landscape a week, starting today. My aim is to do this for the summer, at least, and see how it goes!

Today's painting is from a photo taken somewhere around Creemore, Ontario. Something about round bales in the field is visually appealing, be it hay or straw. I only used the photo as a starting point, manipulating things to come up with this composition. This is an 8 x 10 oil on canvas board. The summer so far has been so wet, we're still waiting for first cut hay, making this scene a bit of a dream!


Last night, I think I finished my little 5 x 7 oil on Raphael linen panel of the Shire in the snow, which I've titled "Man on a Mission." I still have to sign it, but otherwise all that's left is the drying!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I wanted you to know that I am passing the Arte y Pico Award along to you for writing such an inspiring blog. Pop on over to my blog and scroll down to Arte y Pico Award. Great blog!

Regards,
Deborah

Anonymous said...

I like the field with the round bales. Of course, in the Midwest there are lots of those. I think they are alien pods, actually.
Very nicely done!
christine, EAG member

Linda Shantz said...

Hmm, maybe I should do crop circles next time!

Linda Shantz said...

Thanks Deborah! Now I have to work on passing it along!