Lesson in Close Values
Autumn Gold, October, oil/panel, 18"x36"
What attracted me to this scene was the spectacular play of light -- both in the sky and in the field. A certain amount of manipulation was necessary to strike this composition. For instance, the strip of light I extended all the way from the left to the golden maple. The light that is shining on the roof of the small outbuilding was created to accentuate the focal point. Also, I eliminated several silos and trees to simplify and heighten the effect.
Here is a detail of the focal point. In this area, I placed the strongest light and the darkest dark. The sharpest edge, the roof, and the most chromatic color, the tree. All guarantee where I want the viewer to look.
If you look at the roof, the play of warm and cool in close values ensures that the color in the roof lies as one shape. The edges are relatively sharp, but not the sharpest edges that could be made. I had to remember that they were in the distance and needed atmospheric softening, hence relatively sharp.
A detail of the field in shadow reveals a variety of rich colors with limited value change keeping variety and interest in an otherwise flat space. You can put any color you want in any given area, as long as the values are the same, the shape will hold together.Travis Show Opening
Lauren Travis and me at my opening this weekend
A splendid evening -- thanks to all who came and if you missed it, the show runs through the end of the month or see 28 of the 32 paintings here on my blog. Enjoy!
For more information or to purchase a painting, please contact Lauren Travis by phone at 215-794-3903 or by email travisgallery@comcast.net.
EXHIBITION INFO...
Light Observed: Peter Fiore & Greg Bennett
November 6th - November 27th, 2010
6089 Lower York Road, New Hope, PA 18938
Travis Show Preview - 01
Winter Birch, January
oil/linen, 18x24
SOLD
EXHIBITION INFO...
Light Observed: Peter Fiore
November 6th - November 27th 2010
Reception: Saturday, November 6th, 5-8 pm
6089 Lower York Road, New Hope, PA 18938
Travis Show Preview - 02
Golden Stream
oil/panel, 12x16
SOLD
EXHIBITION INFO...
Light Observed: Peter Fiore
November 6th - November 27th 2010
Reception: Saturday, November 6th, 5-8 pm
6089 Lower York Road, New Hope, PA 18938
Travis Show Preview - 03
Farm Meadow, Sunset
oil/canvas, 12x16
EXHIBITION INFO...
Light Observed: Peter Fiore
November 6th - November 27th 2010
Reception: Saturday, November 6th, 5-8 pm
6089 Lower York Road, New Hope, PA 18938
Travis Show Preview - 04
A Winter's Morning Sun
oil/panel, 12x24
EXHIBITION INFO...
Light Observed: Peter Fiore
November 6th - November 27th 2010
Reception: Saturday, November 6th, 5-8 pm
6089 Lower York Road, New Hope, PA 18938
Travis Show Preview - 05
Early Spring Bloom
oil/linen, 18x24
EXHIBITION INFO...
Light Observed: Peter Fiore
November 6th - November 27th 2010
Reception: Saturday, November 6th, 5-8 pm
6089 Lower York Road, New Hope, PA 18938
Travis Show Preview - 06
Sycamore, Late Fall
oil/linen, 18x24
SOLD
EXHIBITION INFO...
Light Observed: Peter Fiore
November 6th - November 27th 2010
Reception: Saturday, November 6th, 5-8 pm
6089 Lower York Road, New Hope, PA 18938
Travis Show Preview - 07
Winter Mist
oil/linen, 18x24
EXHIBITION INFO...
Light Observed: Peter Fiore
November 6th - November 27th 2010
Reception: Saturday, November 6th, 5-8 pm
6089 Lower York Road, New Hope, PA 18938
Travis Show Preview - 08
Distant Glow, January
oil/panel, 12x16
EXHIBITION INFO...
Light Observed: Peter Fiore
November 6th - November 27th 2010
Reception: Saturday, November 6th, 5-8 pm
6089 Lower York Road, New Hope, PA 18938
Travis Show Preview - 09
Autumn Gold, October
SOLD
EXHIBITION INFO...
Light Observed: Peter Fiore
November 6th - November 27th 2010
Reception: Saturday, November 6th, 5-8 pm
6089 Lower York Road, New Hope, PA 18938
Travis Show Preview - 10
January, First Light
oil/linen, 16x20
EXHIBITION INFO...
Light Observed: Peter Fiore
November 6th - November 27th 2010
Reception: Saturday, November 6th, 5-8 pm
6089 Lower York Road, New Hope, PA 18938
Travis Show Preview - 11
Early Morning, May
SOLD
EXHIBITION INFO...
Light Observed: Peter Fiore
November 6th - November 27th 2010
Reception: Saturday, November 6th, 5-8 pm
6089 Lower York Road, New Hope, PA 18938
Travis Show Preview - 12
Winter Treeline
oil/linen, 18x24
EXHIBITION INFO...
Light Observed: Peter Fiore
November 6th - November 27th 2010
Reception: Saturday, November 6th, 5-8 pm
6089 Lower York Road, New Hope, PA 18938
Travis Show Preview - 13
Autumn Pond
oil/panel, 12x16
EXHIBITION INFO...
Light Observed: Peter Fiore
November 6th - November 27th 2010
Reception: Saturday, November 6th, 5-8 pm
6089 Lower York Road, New Hope, PA 18938
Travis Show Preview - 14
Late Summer Shed
oil/linen, 14x19
EXHIBITION INFO...
Light Observed: Peter Fiore
November 6th - November 27th 2010
Reception: Saturday, November 6th, 5-8 pm
6089 Lower York Road, New Hope, PA 18938
Travis Show Preview - 15
Late Summer Red Barn
oil/linen, 16x20
EXHIBITION INFO...
Light Observed: Peter Fiore
November 6th - November 27th 2010
Reception: Saturday, November 6th, 5-8 pm
6089 Lower York Road, New Hope, PA 18938
Travis Show Preview - 16
Late Afternoon Glow, January
oil/panel, 12x16
EXHIBITION INFO...
Light Observed: Peter Fiore
November 6th - November 27th 2010
Reception: Saturday, November 6th, 5-8 pm
6089 Lower York Road, New Hope, PA 18938
Travis Show Preview - 17
At Sunset, Early summer
oil/linen, 12x16
EXHIBITION INFO...
Light Observed: Peter Fiore
November 6th - November 27th 2010
Reception: Saturday, November 6th, 5-8 pm
6089 Lower York Road, New Hope, PA 18938
Travis Show Preview - 18
Late Winter Moon, March
oil/linen, 30x40
EXHIBITION INFO...
Light Observed: Peter Fiore
November 6th - November 27th 2010
Reception: Saturday, November 6th, 5-8 pm
6089 Lower York Road, New Hope, PA 18938
Travis Show Preview - 19
Going Home, Winter Dusk
oil/linen, 18x24
EXHIBITION INFO...
Light Observed: Peter Fiore
November 6th - November 27th 2010
Reception: Saturday, November 6th, 5-8 pm
6089 Lower York Road, New Hope, PA 18938
Travis Show Preview - 20
Autumn Banks
oil/linen, 12x16
EXHIBITION INFO...
Light Observed: Peter Fiore
November 6th - November 27th 2010
Reception: Saturday, November 6th, 5-8 pm
6089 Lower York Road, New Hope, PA 18938
Travis Show Preview - 21
Spring Goddess
SOLD
EXHIBITION INFO...
Light Observed: Peter Fiore
November 6th - November 27th 2010
Reception: Saturday, November 6th, 5-8 pm
6089 Lower York Road, New Hope, PA 18938
Travis Show Preview - 22
At First Light, Late January
oil/linen, 24x36
EXHIBITION INFO...
Light Observed: Peter Fiore
November 6th - November 27th 2010
Reception: Saturday, November 6th, 5-8 pm
6089 Lower York Road, New Hope, PA 18938
Travis Show Preview - 23
Sunrise, Early April
oil/linen, 18x24
EXHIBITION INFO...
Light Observed: Peter Fiore
November 6th - November 27th 2010
Reception: Saturday, November 6th, 5-8 pm
6089 Lower York Road, New Hope, PA 18938
Travis Show Preview - 24
New Day, January
oil/linen, 24x48
EXHIBITION INFO...
Light Observed: Peter Fiore
November 6th - November 27th 2010
Reception: Saturday, November 6th, 5-8 pm
6089 Lower York Road, New Hope, PA 18938
Travis Show Preview - 25
Last Light, Birch Grove
oil/linen, 12x16
EXHIBITION INFO...
Light Observed: Peter Fiore
November 6th - November 27th 2010
Reception: Saturday, November 6th, 5-8 pm
6089 Lower York Road, New Hope, PA 18938
Travis Show Preview - 26
In the Shadows, Winter Thaw
oil/linen, 40x30
EXHIBITION INFO...
Light Observed: Peter Fiore
November 6th - November 27th 2010
Reception: Saturday, November 6th, 5-8 pm
6089 Lower York Road, New Hope, PA 18938
Travis Show Preview - 27
Morning Fog, January
oil/linen, 24x30
EXHIBITION INFO...
Light Observed: Peter Fiore
November 6th - November 27th 2010
Reception: Saturday, November 6th, 5-8 pm
6089 Lower York Road, New Hope, PA 18938
Travis Show Preview - 28
Winter Storm Clearing
oil/linen, 30x40
Exhibit at Kerygma Gallery
White Pine, Morning Sun, oil/panel, 24x36
EXHIBITION INFO...
Peter Fiore: Intuitive Light
October 19th - November 14th, 2010
Reception: Sunday, October 24th, 2-4 pm
201-444-5510
To see a preview of this show, visit
Painting Workshop Week
Me making a point about the benefits of putting gobs of paint onto your palette
Last week's workshop at Bucks County Art Workshops was attended by 17 and was a great success. I know because I'm very tired. For information regarding future workshops, visit my website.
Wet Paint - Rising Sun
Rising Sun, oil/panel, 36"x36"
I was struck by how this tree was much more than an object, it was very much a presence. After doing several studies of this new motif, I came to this solution. I wanted a heightened sense of color and light to convey the life and power of this tree.
Observe the cool blues and greens that are placed in the reflected light of the shadow of this tree. These touches of the sky color affect the top sides of the branches as well as the main trunk of the tree which helps to give it roundness and anchor it in it's space.
Here, the sunlit portion of the pine needles is made more intense by placing complimentary pieces of paint to act as a foil to the warm orange light. If you notice the complimentary colors are kept in the same value in the light and lowered in the shadow to keep the 2 groups, light and shadow, separate. The light has it's particular family of color and values as does the shadow.
This is an extreme close-up of a tiny section of the painting where the tree root meets and merges into the ground. The mingled color here is kept fresh by not over mixing on the palette but rather letting the color blend and fuse within previous passages on the painting.
The same approach works here in the deep shadow, variations of warm and cooler passages kept in the same value.Wet Paint - A Winter's Morning Sun
A Winter's Morning Sun, oil/panel, 12"x24"
This entire painting, just as in this detail, is all about the mingling of warm and cool passages of paint which translates into light and shadow. Keeping the eye visually entertained is paramount in my approach so that no matter how minutely you look at a section of the painting it is a microcosm of the entire work.
This section of the painting is sun struck and therefore is predominately warm -- note the word, predominately. There are still cool passages to give interest and vitality to the warmth of the light.
Here the application of paint is somewhat different. I am using the handle of the brush to scrape and carve back into shapes to suggest the texture of the pine needles and the distant grasses -- literally pushing and abrading the surface to create the needed texture.
Rather than using extreme value contrasts, I have found that using temperature changes to portray light and shadow creates more luminosity. By keeping my values close, a lighter and more atmospheric effect is achieved.
Finalists: ARC 2009/10 Salon
Morning Light, Winter Stream, oil/linen, 30"x40"
January Awakening, oil/linen, 34"x48"
Two paintings, "January Awakening" and "Morning Light, Winter Stream" were chosen as finalists in the Art Renewal Center’s 6th Annual International 2009/10 Salon Competition from over 1700 entries received from around the world.
Happy 20th
Congratulations to Lauren Travis for 20 years of representing excellence in art
October View, oil/linen, 16x20
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