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ART CHALLENGE #
Finalist
John Buxton Pennsylvania, USA, A Rhythm of the River, oil, 32 x 40" (81 x 102 cm)
My Inspiration
My collectors tell me that some of my best
paintings are those of water scenes. I certainly
enjoy capturing the rhythm and flow patterns
that various waters create. Each is an exercise
in evaluating and understanding intricate
patterns and how to paint them. My chosen
genre is Eastern Woodland Frontier scenes
of North America, as Native Americans and
Europeans strived to coexist in the 18th century
or earlier. This painting is of river canoes used
by those Native Americans. These fragile bark
canoes, and to some degree wooden dugout
canoes, required constant maintenance. My
attempt here is to show that narrative as canoes
are brought in, repaired and patched with hot
resin or sewn up with spruce root.
My Design Strategy
I wanted an interesting and powerful
display of water, but only as it set a stage
to encircle my narrative—a narrative that
is itself a circular design. Its introduction
begins at upper left as canoes are hauled
in off the river. Others await repair, as
resin is heated and Native women attend
to canoe maintenance. Young men gather
paddles among dugouts. An adult shapes
a new paddle. But not everyone is busy;
especially a youngest member as he dangles
his legs and watches water patterns flow
below. Continuing the circle is the result of
neglected maintenance. My design objective
is its narrative...not an empty landscape.
But it must also be appealing.
My Working Process
I begin with an event of history—generic
or actual. Generic has more leeway. I try to
visualize how figures and canoes might be
arranged for repair. I have numerous photos
I have taken of waterfalls that I looked
through for ideas and shapes. I loved an area
below a tall waterfall that wouldn’t take too
much alteration. I sketched the landscape
shapes and possible arrangement of the
canoe, shapes, etc. I arranged to photograph
models or check previous photos to see if
any work. I worked up a rough sketch of
the entire scene, chose the best crop and
stretched a canvas. I applied rough sketch
onto canvas and applied an overall mid-tone
wash. I used multiple photos as reference
as I painted the scene, while trying for a
realistic color harmony.
Contact Details
» Email: [email protected]
» Website: http://www.buxtonart.com
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