Create Depth in an Overall “Green” Painting
Last November I went out to Petroglyph Canyon to paint. It’s not really called that but it is near some Indian petroglyphs and I can’t find an official name so I gave it one. It’s in a long meandering wash near Saguaro Park West with canyon walls that get higher the further back you go. I was there a couple of years ago with a class and we spotted a mountain lion watching us from the cliffs. So I always think about the lion when I paint there — puts a little more excitement in outdoor painting. My goal, I always try to have a goal when I paint outside, was to create depth in an overall green painting, pushing greens cooler and lighter in the distance and stronger darks and color in the foreground. The change is subtle and I wanted to push the difference without being too obvious. That takes a lot of observation and comparing the background darks with the foreground darks, seeing a strong value and temperature difference. And this time I didn’t see the lion.