Late Lapse, oil on canvas, 20×30
I like bands of shadow that cross the plane of a picture, and I usually find it in hedge rows, lines of trees or driveways. When I found this view it just had to be painted. I was out looking for reference for a new painting just after a fall rainstorm. Swirling mist clouds caught the upper light and areas of the trees and remaining foliage let intense light through to create these perpendicular light and cast shadow bands. Perpendicular shadow play, intense sky and a moody landscape has often been my choice to paint because it helps to put the viewer in the scene.
This painting really says “fall” to me with the semi-bare trees and ruminants of blackberry cane stretched out on the fence. I used both card stock and a palette knife to apply the deep red inherent in the cane. I also thought that the dance of light on the shorter foreground grasses was engaging, so I included them at the details stage when I painted it. The limited color range of the piece helps imbue a moody sense and helps to get across a time of day and season of the year.