Farm Pond, oil on canvas, 20×40
In my travels on the back roads near my home I’m always on the watch for unique farms or engaging countryside views. Farm Pond was such a find. This was a view I found inside another view and decided to investigate. I edited my drawing to play-up the lazy curves of the countryside as it lifts your eyes up to examine the piece. it was an intriguing challenge to get the wide multitudes of green to make the piece read right. I muted some parts and heightened others to help give depth to a wide expanse of flat land.
The scene centers around the pond and its utter blue color. The oil paint mixture for that was based in manganese violet and cobalt blue, and was a deeper, richer reflection of the sky. There was a lot of movement to the surface of the water as well as lots of color. The dried reed grass and the cattails defined the exact edges of property lines and water access. It all seemed like a jigsaw puzzle as I aimed to have each surface define itself. Weathered trees belie the passage of time; fields come in and out of favor depending on what’s needed.
I finished the bottom up with several layers, each taking its time to dry. I wanted to convey the sheer mechanical pattern left by the farm equipment so I tried a series of things that I haven’t done yet.