This is a painting I did for a friend at Hilton Head last week. He wanted the light house because it is the focal point of the sea pines resort where he owns a condo. I wasn't sure about doing a painting everyone else has already done. Then it occurred to me that Edward Hopper did light houses and did them his way. I tried a risky composition–centering the light house. The boats and trees were used in the foreground as an entry point and to offset the bullseye effect of the light house. These elements lead the viewer to the far background. I also used a lot of gray because of the hazy sunshine that saturated the scene. The sky was painted with a palette knife to give the soft edges to the cloud formations.
9 comments:
I like the composition--It is different--the boats and water leading us out toward the sea--the distant shore line keeping us from drifting away--the clouds drawing us back and of course, the lighthouse, anchoring everything--Ed Hopper- my all time favorite artist--I grew up in Tarrytown, NY, across the Hudson from his birthplace in Nyack--have been familiar with his work since I was a youngster.
Risky but an effective composition--the boats and water do lead you to the background and the landform in the distance keeps you from drifting out to sea--the clouds whisk you back to the trees which lead you back to the boats in the foreground--nice trip--Ed Hopper--my all time favorite artist--I was born and grew up in Tarrytown, NY across the Hudson from his birthpalce in Nyack. I've been familiar and inspired by his paintings since I was a youngster.
Having just come back from Beaufort, NC, I can say that you captured that hazy sunlight by the coastline perfectly. This is a terrific painting!
Sorry about the double post, Ron, but my first comment wasn't posted, so I wrote it again--same thoughts and sentiment.
Thanks for the nice comments Cecelia and Claire. I wasn't thrilled by the hazy light but you take what you get when you drive all that distance! Were there alligators where you were Claire? One lived in the water just off our deck.
I love all sea paintings...all lighthouse paintings...all boat paintings! This one looks like a beautiful photograph. Very well done, Ron!
I love the wispy sky...and the strong diagonals offset the position of the lighthouse..
It is always nice to see your images and read your posts... your thoughts and processes. So informative. Thanks for sharing.
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