Work in progress
16×20″
Acrylic on masonite
©2014 Lucinda Howe

This painting was started a while back as a demonstration for Trenholm Artists Guild. but it was never finished.  At the time, I planned to have the distant bridge as the focal point.  I was focusing on flattening the picture plane by keeping the contrast of color and value the same throughout the painting.

This afternoon I pulled this piece out and decided to finish it.  I felt that the bridge was too small and distant to be the focal point, and I wanted to emphasize the foreground.  So I lightened the background trees  and covered the white on the bridge to push it into the background.   I also increased the darks and lights in the foreground trees to move the focal point to the lower right quadrant.   Now I think the piece is finally finished.  Isn’t it funny how sometimes a piece has to sit around for a while before I learn what need to finish it?

Rethinking the River
16×20″
Acrylic on masonite
©2014 Lucinda Howe