Kate Withers - 'Painting Space'

 Remembering my time at Dead Horse State Park .. smoldering red sunset .. last glow over an immense landscape.  This was an experiment to see if I could accomplish a tonal painting .. colors that are similar and close in values .. using restraint. Plus I wanted to use some of my many red and violet oils without doing flowers ..the usual way to use lots of reds. Here is my impression from that famous viewpoint ..  acquire at Gallery 24 - Torrey Utah

6x6    oil on canvas     SOLD A quick study from the Lee's Ferry area...here the Colorado River flows swiftly down from Lake Powell.  This is the only spot to launch a boat and enter the Grand Canyon.. a thrilling adventure.   There is a great campground nearby.. but you wouldn't want to be there in the summer.. 100˚plus.  Fisherman prize this stretch of the river.. and if you stay in one of the quaint lodges nearby.. you will be sharing the space with fishermen, avid hikers, intrepid travelers, photographers.. and painters! Go there.

8x10       oil on canvas panel        NFS A quick preliminary oil study for a much larger painting which took many months and constant re-painting to finish... after all that.. I actually like this small piece better. (There must be a moral somewhere in this :)

8x10 oil and canvas panel In my opinion... the middle stage of the creation process is the hardest part of a painting. The fun part of laying in the design is over and the satisfaction of completion is in the future. Here in the middle lies the work ... reworking color and values to a point of balance. This last light on the desert hills is one of my favorite times of day... a study in contrasts.. cool/warm colors.. darkening purple land/light pale sky. The truly artistic part is to develop the sense of the poetic.. to convey a feeling of an appreciation for the ever-changing timeless spectacle. UPDATE: still working on this... hopefully finished soon!