Backlit Bridge

8"x8" oil/panel

I can't think of anything easier to paint than a backlit bridge at sunset. Not!!! But i tried it anyways. I spent many years drawing architecturally accurate renderings of buildings and bridges and the like. Slide rules and t squares were standard fare. In the end they have no life. Just a drawing. When I drive or walk along the river I get a sensation of the river. It is subtle. These are not sensationalist paintings. I am trying to capture the river or whatever I paint as a real moment in time. I struggled alot with this one. Constant construction/deconstruction. The only thing I felt was right was the initial horizon line. The more I sketched in the less I liked. I finally decided to just paint, ignoring the majority of the sketch. Constant struggle. There were moments I felt good things were happening but very few. Most of the time it felt hopeless. I didn't have a composition even! Then I just tried to " feel" the scene. Convinced it was a failure I let loose and addressed the few thoughts entering my mind. Back to the basics. I applied paint as my past has taught me in vague planes. Really breaking it down. After bringing it into the studio I made very slight adjustments but I think they helped immensely. After what I thought was a worthless venture, I now think I made progress. It is beginning to feel like the river, not a rendition of the river.