Feb 23, 2008 -- Walking With Theo
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Walking With Theo: Media: Acrylic on canvas Board Size: 4.5 x 6 " This January, while vacationing with my husband’s sister’s family in California, we took a walk in our nephews’ favorite park. My husband photographed his sister and brother-in-law with their 5-year-old grandson. Their silhouettes against the sparkling water beautifully captured a wonderful moment of connection, and when I saw it, I immediately wanted to paint it. |
This is the first work that I produced for my painting-a-day blog. I assumed (ah… assumptions) that I’d be able to paint this 9 x 12” piece in no time, but I soon realized I was wrong. Trying to capture the feeling of the moment needed just enough detail to convey the sense of place and time, but not so much that it distracted from the silhouetted figures. Another challenge I faced was figuring out the way to adjust the composition and to keep the focus on Theo as the painting’s center of interest. I used two techniques to do that. The painting's composition leads the eye to Theo because I placed Theo at an intersection point one third of the way up from the bottom and one third of the way from the side of the painting. I also made sure that Theo’s silhouette drew the most attention by glazing a muted form of cadmium red over his jacket.
It's clear that this is a very nice family, enjoying a day out. I particularly like the way the painter conveys so much information by using silhouettes of the adults, while enlivening the painting with color as well.
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