Yesterday, the last day of November, was sunny and warm here, but many days this past month have been dreary, misty and grey, like my newest painting “November.” Even on such moody days, the tall dried grasses in the pastures and meadows here in Tennessee are striking tones of gold and rust, with undertones of green from the low fresh growth. The scent of the air says “autumn” in the country, perhaps from the damp leaves on the ground. My senses are aroused by the variations of Mother Nature in every season.
In this barn scene, I wanted to capture the three-dimensionality of the landscape. Distant hills, thickly covered with trees, are subdued by the moisture in the air, so I’ve painted them in greyed colors not much different from the sky. The middle ground of old farm buildings and their surroundings appear a bit more in focus, but the colors are still dulled. A close cedar tree on the left forms another plane, as we move forward in the scene. The foreground is dominated by the bare tree branches, warm tones in the grasses, and old barbed wire fencing. Close objects visually come forward when painted with bolder hues, more contrasts, and finer details than those of the distant objects.
Chalk up another painting with barbed wire for me! I guess it finds its way into so many of my paintings because old wire fencing is such a part of my environment. If I painted rural country landscapes from where I grew up in New England, lovely old fieldstone walls would grace the scenes.
Incidentally, I’ve completed a few other paintings recently, but they are destined as holiday gifts. I’ll share them with you here after Christmas so I won’t ruin any surprises. You get to be surprised too!
