Landscape Painting 4: Basics Down

The ghost of the original image of this canvas is going to be visible, but only in the composition. Don’t ask me why! I’m not a good enough painter to understand why it’s doing this. I’m just doing it. With paint and with narrative I can be utterly impulsive, letting the spirit blow as it wills. That’s why it’s important for me to knit and to cook. You can’t let the spirit just move you while you’re baking muffins, not if you want them to be edible.

But here we are, the basic elements of the work clear to be seen. A steep cliff with the river curving around it, more slopes to the back, and finally distant heights beyond. Gosh, but it looks terrible.  If this were water color I’d be stuck, because with water color you can’t go back. It has to be right with the first touch of the brush to the paper. But with acrylic or oil? I can fuss with this until the cows come home, and I will. It isn’t done until I drive it to be as good as I can get it. Next post!