Divide and Conquer
Approaching a large project can be daunting… “Fontanillis Twin Pines” was my first large canvas in over 10 years. For some artists, the solution may just be to use bigger brushes. However, I have always painted with the same level of detail so I just subconsciencely chose to break it into five smaller “canvases” each with a desired focus for impact.
1) The Sky – more depth and atmosphere vs prior works
2) The Mountains – the snow, the rocks, and the shadows
3) The Rocks – show the structure, the detail, and the shades of grays and blues and shadows
4) The Foreground – rocks, bushes, the contrast of light and shadow
5) The Water – The depth and reflections from the distance to the foreground and the rocks beneath the surface.
The Twin Pines stand as a dark contrast juxtaposed to each layer and serve to tie them all together in the composition.