Monday, June 14, 2010

Challenge 5 - Lake Aquitaine


(click on the image 2 times to download a bigger version)

The last PADT challenge has been such a fantastic adventure! Each painting was an example of high creativity. The artfully chosen titles of the paintings added even more to the fun and to the drama - the story each painting told. All of us artists are so dedicated and passionate about what we do...some of the folks in our challenge stole 1 hour from their lunch break to 'make it'. It is thoroughly admirable and inspiring!

About the composition

Each region in the world has something special to show and amaze curious visitors and site-seeing hungry tourists. If I can identify one natural beauty Canada has plenty of, that would be lakes. I don't know the official count but saying that we have thousands of lakes in Canada would not be an exaggeration at all. From amazingly big ones up to the smallest, there is really a magical, and blissfully relaxing atmosphere around them.

Hence, it should be no surprise that the first "landscape subject" I have chosen is a lake. Not any lake. This is, how I like to call it - My Lake. The lake I know every spot of. The lake where I photographed numerous pictures, watched seagulls fishing and wild ducks breeding small new family members. Each summer I carefully monitored Water Lilies and wild Irises, waiting for the time they are in a full boom so that I can paint them. The best part is - the lake is in front of my nose literally ... and I can enjoy it as much as I want the whole year around. Welcome to Lake Aquitaine!

The photo was taken recently, towards the end of the day. Its that time of the day when sunlight starts to become intense red, orange, and yellow and illuminates only one side of the lake. The other one stays in the deep shadow. Here, closer to the viewer is a shadow side of the lake with two rows of triangularly shaped tall grass patterns and a tall tree on the right. Further away is the lake sparkling with light and reflections. Trees, clouds and building are all clearly reflected in the lake and stay visible above it. The horizon line was chosen close to the bottom 1/3rd of the picture, so that the vast sky, clouds and buildings dominate the composition. Obviously the focus of attention is the building. I wish I could replace it with a nice aged cottage, but this is what reality was giving. The tree on the right side complements the building and keeps the viewer inside the composition.

The painting/drawing task is to capture 1)water 2) building, trees and clouds reflections 3)dark-light relation inevitably communicating arial prospective and leading the eye in the picture. If you like, you are welcome to replace the building with another (house,cottage, any other interesting object), but remember to paint it's reflection in the lake.

Please send photo of your painting the latest by July 03. The next painting reference will be posted on Sunday July 04.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Very nice picture. Tranquil lake, the night advancing slowly with its promise of peace & rest. I remember so many evening by such a lake, writing & thinking & feeling myself getting relaxed.

I can't resist sharing this quote by Walden - "A lake is the landscape's most beautiful and expressive feature. It is Earth's eye; looking into which the beholder measures the depth of his own nature."