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Sunday, May 1, 2011

The Hill Country Revisited

Arbor Ridge, 8x16, 4-2011 oil on Linen panel

Arbor Ridge, 2nd rendition

Arbor Ridge, original from 4-2009, near Fredricksburg, TX
Here is a painting I never thought would amount to anything. I so enjoyed painting in the Hill Country of central TX. This was the 3rd painting of the day, and the sun was hot, and my ride had to leave. All that aside,  I felt I got a good structure down, but that is about it. The cleaned up middle view I worked on when I got home. Better, but still not very exciting. Painting yellow in shadow is still something I am getting the hang of. I liked the yellow in #2, but it doesn't read as being in the shade.
In my effort to save paintings I think have a chance, I decided to work on it AGAIN this past month. So on to the top and most recent version, the yellow looks too green in this photo but in person it "reads" as in the shade. From version 2 to 3, I put the hint of stones on the sides of the first and third buildings; added rust to the roofs of the outbuildings, added more foliage in the foreground, as well as lightening the ground, added the fence and the dog running along it. Reworked the trees in the background added spring green to the silhouetted big tree; took out the lame tree on the left and put in a bush. I am still debating about whether to put the tree back in or not. It doesn't seem to need it. I also changed the color of the sky from a more yellowish glow to a more purplish blue. Not sure how I feel about that yet. I may have to go back to the original color. As usual, I "see" all kinds of things once I take a photo and then start to write about it.

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