Every once in a while I like to try my hand at landscape painting. Usually with mixed results. I’m more of a portrait or figure drawing guy, not a landscape guy. And I usually like to stick with graphite, conté, or pastels (either chalk or oil will do). But a guy can dream can’t he?

Anyways, this one turned out not too badly. I think my main influences would be the Group of Seven and Impressionism. And while this one is okay, I think I’m still a few paintings away from a personal style gelling. Over the years I’ve amassed quite a few small, cheapie canvases, so you’ll probably see a few other experiments gracing the posts of this blog from time to time.

This painting was done in acrylic. I try to stay away from oils because, when painting a house, a deck, or a canvas, I seem collect paint all over me. It’s just easier with water based paints. Trust me. Or just ask my wife, who is always amazed at how much paint winds up on me rather than the surface I’m painting.

I think next time, I’ll try for a simpler subject matter. I’ve always done better with a simple, iconic sort of image. And I think less planning and more spontaneity with the use of colour and form. And I may need to mute some of the background colours as well. I tend to hype up the colour in my portrait work, and while it has been very successful in that genre, it may not quite be the best for landscape work.

I’ve also included a few closeups for those who may be interested in the brush strokes.