Dune Shadows

Comment

Comment by Mick Grochowski on November 22, 2016 at 2:45pm

Thank you for the comments Kristen. Your insight is always appreciated. The park where it was painted, on Willoughby Beach in Norfolk, VA is quite intriguing, as the dense canopy of the Live Oak trees provides a cool atmosphere, even in the hottest days of summer. Dune Shadows is an acrylic on canvas, plein air painting and recently was awarded 3rd place in the Hampton Art League, 2016 show.

Mick

Comment by Resident Curator on November 19, 2016 at 4:44pm

Curator’s Comments:

 

Dune Shadows is an interesting wooded landscape.  The expressive cool hues and abstract stylization of the tree trunks creates a pleasing rhythmic configuration not usually developed in traditional plein air work. The slight elongation of the rectangular format accentuates the repetition of shape and plays against the similarities and irregularities between the forms.  I particularly enjoy the color blocking on the ground; the higher chroma blue violet patches of flat color balance the darker yellow-green foliage on top. This color pattern slightly inverts the anticipated visual weight of the treetops by emphasizing the foreground. I’m wondering about the media, as the saturation could be digital or acrylic.  Stylistically the piece appears to have a much smoother mark than the adjacent piece posted back in 2014.