Harder than it Looks

Relying on my sketchbook and my memory I started this piece, 11 x 14, with the goal of showing the depth of the land and the vastness of the sky.

It actually looks better photographed than it did on the easel and the horizon line was too much in the center to show any thing.  So, I decided to crop it down to a smaller size.

I found the "best" 5 x 7 inches and started building on that.  Notice that I get a much bigger

sky this way and less land.

When you do not have a photo you have to trust your memory for color as well as knowlege about aerial perspective and land changes.  Note here that I had to tape a temp mat over the rest of the painting so I would not get distracted.

This took waaaaaaay too long and went thru waaaaaaay too many iterations....I'm still not satisfied but pleased enough with the "experiment" to put it away and attempt another one.  I probably need to get rid of the road (path?) on the left but it did go to my focal point so I left it in.  I think the sky could be bluer and the mountians grey-er.  But I also think I wore this paper, this sketch and this brain out!

On to a new one.