A Shaded Gully - 30" X 26" - OOC

tassieguy

I got the canvas covered on this  tonight so thought it a good time to ask for feedback.  Sorry about the glare on top and down the sides - the pic was taken at night - but it gives a general idea of the painting. I'll take a better photo outside in daylight tomorrow. The darks have already started to dry a bit flat so it will need varnishing. 

This scene is on the trail down to Fossil Cove. A small foot-bridge crosses the gully here and this is the view from the bridge. It's was a dry summer down here (unlike everywhere else in Australia) so there's no water in the creek, but it's still a damp place, as you can see by the moss and lichens on the low hanging tree branches. 


There are still some details to adjust and I'll probably do some glazing in the shadows when it's fully dry. Anyway, I'd be interested to get folks thoughts on it. 

Thanks for taking the time to look and comment. 

Rob

GTO

I am amazed that you can create order out of such a complicated scene.
I like the sunlight on the fern leaves.

RUESGA

It’s great!!! I love the atmosphere it goes beyond a painting, so dramatic 😃

allforChrist

GTO said:

I am amazed that you can create order out of such a complicated scene.
I like the sunlight on the fern leaves.

@GTO it's owed to @tassieguy's epic dash brushstrokes. : )

Seriously impressive display of light and the engaging, working atmosphere of nature.

A_Time_To_Paint

Oh my @tassieguy.  This is really beautiful already.  Like @GTO said, you have created beautiful order out of chaos.  Can't wait to see your finished painting.  You're an amazing artist.

Abstraction

Yes, I'm with everyone else. How did you find this design in the tangle? I walk through Australian bush  and never know how to squeeze it into a frame where it doesn't look like a partial photo. What I love here is that as a set of paintings this suddenly moves from the grand vista of your other paintings to the scratchy (I can feel what's like to walk through) up-close which is part of the experience of place.

Subtle things that make this work, as I examine it. The dark hole is an obvious one. I think dark, shady spaces in a painting are analogous to musical pauses. We feel that rest when our eyes hit them.

A second subtle thing is the greyed of semi-distance - accentuated by brighter leaves dangling before it - the grey is air, space, dimension.

The third is the emergence of the gully, like a realisation. At first you're hit with the in-your-face complexity. But then the warm sunlight on the bottom left, then centre... leads your eye along and the dimension emerges from the flat canvas.

Interesting that the bottom right hand corner works. I think it does because at the top of the triangle is a branch that stands there like an usher to direct you back into the painting (as do the branches that cross the gully).

tassieguy

Thanks, @GTO, RUESGA, @allforChrist, @A_Time_To_Paint and @Abstraction. 

I wasn't sure I could make this work because of the complexity.  I need to wait now until it's completely dry so I can glaze the shadows better and some small areas in the upper foliage where I feel the contrast is a little strong. After that, I will pick out some final highlights to (hopefully) make the foreground branches of the tree on the left pop. 

Once all that's done I'll take a better photo in daylight. In the meantime I'll start on another one.

Thanks again. I really appreciate your feedback. 

Richard_P

Help, I'm lost in the bush!

Really good.. did you paint the leaves in the top left out of focus? If so, I think that's the first time I've seen you use this technique! I feel the strong upright branch in the middle of the picture might need the edges softening slightly. I look forward to a better photo

tassieguy

Cheers, @Richard-P. Yes, I tried to be very loose up there in the top left. I'll look at the edges of that branch and probably soften it. Thanks. 

ArtGal

Love this one @tassieguy, seeing from afar the composition and  dramatic lighting gives it a lot of depth.

tassieguy

Thanks very much, @ArtGal. Yes, with this one you need to stand back a bit. 

I'm hoping it will look even better when I've glazed the shadows, picked out the lights and taken a better photo in daylight. 

I really appreciate your taking the time to comment. 

tassieguy

This is a photo taken in daylight. It was sunny today so I took it outside. There's no glare at top and down the side from my studio lights in this pic and I think the colours are more accurate.

Still some glazing in the shadows to do when it's completely dry and will pick out some highlights of the low hanging branches in the left foreground and maybe on the fernery at right.

Roxy

Terrific @tassieguy. You have a knack of balancing complexity against order. I’m guessing you squint a lot. 

tassieguy

Thanks, @Roxy. I'm happy you think it's ok.

Yes, squinting is a constant when I'm painting. Does wonders for the wrinkles around the eyes. 

pcstaples

As @GTO said, I don’t know how you are able to paint with such precision something that had to be so chaotic but beautiful! Truly remarkable work

adridri

I agree with everyone else, how do you not get lost in this mess. Truly amazing!

oilpainter1950

Inch by inch painting's a cinch. But I'm afraid I'd be cross eyed by the time I finished this.  You did a wonderful job of this.  It's just lovely.

tassieguy

Thanks, @pcstaples ,@adridri and @oilpainter1950. I'm happy you all think it works.

I know it looks complicated but if you do a block-in of the darks first to get the main masses where they are meant to be and then just work in small sections until the canvas is covered, the complexity slowly emerges on top of the grand design you blocked in at the beginning. 

joydeschenes

@tassieguy wow , I really like the sunlit ferns in the bottom right. Just love your style with landscapes. Congrats… 

tassieguy

Thanks so much, @joydeschenes. 

whunt

Agree with the above comments. Excellent and inspiring work. 

Mio

Crazy complex and crazy good. Bravo old boy! You seem to be extremely productive with these works .. respect!

Gary_Heath

Great painting!  Wow, the foilage is working so well.  Is that a water pipe going across the gully?  It provides a very useful bit of counterchange to break the centre dark mass up.  Also, it adds a bit of human interest.  Love the whole picture.

tassieguy

Thanks, @whubt,  @Mio and @Gary_Heath. Much appreciated 

@Gary_Heath, it's actually a fallen log but it's fairly straight I guess it could be a water pipe. 

jay80

I love this, the complexity is outstanding, lots of new areas of interest appear each time I look at it.  

tassieguy

Thanks very much, @jay80.  

Allie

your attention to detail is just amazing! I would lose my mind trying to paint something like this!! Love the dappled light! Beautiful 

tassieguy

Thanks so much, @Allie.