The Sentinel Oak

Having finished, or mostly finished, a few paintings recently, I wanted to start something new. I've been out to the Brandywine River near home recently taking a few photos of the river in the dreary gray of winter, with snow on the ground, but I am...fearful...I guess you could say, of trying to paint these scenes.

The Brandywine in Winter

In lieu of diving into one of those, I decided to do a quick painting focused on one color (or color group). That being purples and pinks (and grays).

This is the result. It is an 8 by 10 inch canvas panel, in oils, painted in approximately one hour before dinner. [Photo taken in bad artificial light...]

The Sentinel Oak at Sunrise (8x10, oils on canvas panel)

Comments from Amp, Grace and my sister in law were that it was sad, eerie, ominous and kinda spooky.

I wouldn't, or couldn't, argue with any of these. I'm not sure they align with what my intent was, but perhaps the best thing that can be said about a piece of art is that it invokes an emotional response. If this quick little oil sketch made anyone feel anything, then I should be pleased.

And I like the painting.

One thing I have promised myself is that I will continue to paint in whatever style or subject matter appeals to me in the moment. In this particular moment, at about 3:30pm on a Sunday afternoon, I felt representational and symbolic and not realistic and literal.

So this is what happens. And I'm happy about it.