I began this painting by using the discarded panel from my last class assignment.  The ground had been darkened and the limbs and some foliage painted before I decided to start over, but I kept the panel for possible future use. When I submitted the last post of the same scene in for grading, I asked my instructor if I could use the discarded painting as a start for our second landscape assignment. I recolored the limbs and worked in class without a photo reference. It was supposed to be a creative exercise. This is what I left class with and I was not happy.

I worked at home with the photo I took of the scene, but because the initial painting was started on site outside the classroom, the image was not exact. I don’t draw as accurately as my camera takes a photo. I tried to give depth to this piece, and after two hours, I really liked the atmospheric quality of the left background.

Unfortunately, as is often the case, we can try to improve something that looks pretty good and our changes can alter or diminish what we liked about our progress. I no longer have the appearance of depth with the path far below the foreground trees.

It is late in the day now and there is no longer natural light to work in my studio, so the painting has to be finished if I am going to have time to put a varnish on top to even the surface appearance. I varnished between my last two applications, so today’s paint looks very noticeably matte upon the glossy surface I began on. There is simply no time to make changes before my painting class, and though the instructor would allow me to work longer on it in class, we are expected to start our new painting after our critique of everyone’s work. I really want to begin my new assignment because it comprises two paintings not one.

So, this is where I ended up. This photo is the unvarnished state. I will post the finished piece as the header when it is dry.