a change of focus

 

When I painted this 7x5 inch color study for a larger painting, my focus was on the hits of sunlight on the path. Because it is small, I work the whole scene at the same time, moving from area to area and perhaps because of this process, my color studies are always more spontaneous and lively than larger work.

For the bigger painting (18x12 inches), I started at the top and by the time I finished the sunlight on the tree trunks and the grass, I began to feel a change of focus. I wanted to keep the viewer's attention further back in the scene and a dappled path would compete with that. But, I went ahead anyway and made a dappled path. Then I removed the dappled path and opted for warmer path color instead. That way, the path comes forward but doesn't compete with the other sun detail.

The 7x5 inch study is currently on auction at Daily Paintworks (sold) and the larger painting, "Sunfall" will be at Cole Gallery, Edmonds, Washington, in February 2013.