Summer in the Donegal Highlands

Summer in the Highlands Extract from Crossing Borders: www.guildhallpress.co.uk

This painting resulted from an unplanned walk down a secluded lane in the highlands of Donegal during a summer stroll. The light was unusual (mainly because I think the sun was shining!) Sunshine means shadow and shadow means colour. A rare opportunity for an Irish artist indeed. As I walked I got the feeling that this small lane way would go on forever, bending just enough that you could never see what was around the corner, no matter how hard you tried.

You could see from the grass that grew down the centre of the path that the modern world hadn't quite reached this far. This is exactly what this lane looked like 150 or 200 years ago. But still, it was well tended. The verges were well trimmed and the fencing all in place. The composition interested me here. The pathway creates a strong perspective, a way to lead the eye from the foreground into the mid-ground. Note the way the front of the path takes up more than half of the bottom of the painting then disappears almost to infinity two-thirds the way up the picture.

Two lines of shadow form horizontal lines that compliment the horizon line (the place where sky and land meet) There is a lot of foreground in this painting because of the bend in the lane. This provides an opportunity to add detail and strong colours in the foliage and the leaves. In the far distance the viewer can just glimpse distant hills with very little detail and lighter more muted colour. Its those two things that create a sense of distance in the painting. 

If you are looking to compose an interesting picture rules of thumb are: look to put something of interest in the foreground; the mid-ground and the background. Look for lines (like the pathway) that lead the eye through the painting. Look for strong foreground features such as the nearest tree with its detail and shadows. Apart from all that remember to also just stop and take in the beauty before you...