Sunday, March 8, 2009

Browning, Montana



Here's my latest. I'm including the sketch once more to show that I had planned on including a telephone pole in the right half of the painting. There's something about telephone poles that I like in my paintings. I think it might be the extreme vertical line. Not sure. You can see in the final result that I left the pole out though.

What would you have done? Leave it? Take it out? I kind of like the composition as it stands. Thoughts?

6 comments:

Rick Wojnilo said...

Bill, another great piece! I too love the vertical lines of telephone/power poles and palm trees. I think I would have kept it in, but then again.. you dont know until you actually see what it would do to the overall scene. I also love your idea of painting from google maps street view. I started my own street view painting on a large canvas I had waiting around. Have a look at http://todayspaint.blogspot.com/

Regards, Rick

Anonymous said...

I really think you've advanced so far in this original series. Seems the knife suits you.
It brings a kind of nostalgia to the work, like old layers of paint chipping off from too many years and too much weather.

Are the knives you use shaped a particular way for applying paint rather than just mixing on a pallette?

Billy Guffey said...

Hi Rick. Thanks for commenting. Good to see someone else using streetview with the same purpose.

Billy Guffey said...

Hello Bonnie. The knife is really working well for me these days. I've been using one small one, about an inch and a half long, for all these in the series. Just regular shape, from a cheapo pack I bought at Hobby Lobby.

Kim VanDerHoek said...

Hi Bill,

I came and looked at this earlier and had to think about it before I left a comment. First, thanks for posting the initial sketch, it's great to see how you start. Second, at first I thought it didn't need the phone pole because in your sketch it was so tall it took my eye right off the top of the canvas. But now, I think it would add another area of interest as long as it's a bit shorter then you had sketched it initially. Also, with the smaller pole in the background having a taller one in the foreground would add rhythm to this painting. Nevertheless, it is a strong painting as it is.

Billy Guffey said...

Hi Kim, thanks for the thoughts. I agree, I think it might add some rhythm to the piece. I might try adding it in. It would be an easy enough fix if it doesn't work.