ODE TO REMBRANDT'S ETCHINGS....
I don't do etchings yet, but some of my recent pen and ink drawings may eventually nudge me in that direction. Pen and Ink doesn't have the exact same quality as etching, but it is a great place to start for
experimentation, working out ideas, and working to capture the essence of a subject. Ink drawings can go a long way toward enlightening the artist about tree forms and values that might otherwise be overlooked when working solely in color. Ink drawings also tend to have their own charm and mystery quite unlike other kinds of drawing in that the artist is limited in the number of ways to explain what he is seeing. Hatching, crosshatching, subtle whispering lines, and staccato marks all do their part to say what is needed.
REFLECTIONS...
Water is one of the most illusive and mysterious elements in outdoor painting. It is interesting to consider how the water in the air changes the way we see everything. On a misty summer morning many trees that are familiar to us may seem larger, farther away or strangely foreboding. But on a cool fall morning, all the water may be less hanging in the air and more in the streams and clouds, and everything is illuminated to a crisp. Water in mass is particularly challenging, and yet it is perfect at giving trees that might be less interesting without it a peculiar dignity and
voluminous mass. When you start to consider the unifying element of water in a landscape you begin to gain an even greater appreciation for how Nature works. The clouds hover over the waters of the earth and through their cycling all life lives in between. So when painting a copse of tree hanging over a pond, it is not merely the copse you are aiming for but to share a minute glimpse of the whole thing. That particular tree over that particular pond tells many tales. To see more paintings with water check out some newly added paintings in the Western North Carolina file on my website
www.rebeccanking.com. Go to "Paintings and Drawings" and "Western North Carolina" to see more.
