Arkansas painter Dave Butler has been painting looser lately, and it’s no coincidence that this is happening as the leaves are turning vibrant colors.

Lead Image: “Road to Fall,” by Dave Butler, oil, 8 x 10 in.

“We have a lot of green here in Arkansas,” says Butler. “Other times of year, you don’t have as much of a chance to explore your warmer hues. When fall pops around, it’s a great opportunity to experiment with yellows and oranges. I really like to go with a broader brushstroke rather than get into the detail of it all. I can go for a different aspect or look, more of an impressionistic style. There’s a narrow range of colors in summer and spring. There’s such a broad spectrum of colors in fall — vibrant reds, oranges, and some pinks too. If you look hard, you see them, and when you squint, you see some as well.”

“Pathway to Fall,” by Dave Butler, oil, 6 x 9 in.
“Pathway to Fall,” by Dave Butler, oil, 6 x 9 in.
“Golden Tree,” by Dave Butler, oil, 11 x 7 in.
“Golden Tree,” by Dave Butler, oil, 11 x 7 in.

Butler finds the fall colors and impressionist style liberating. “It’s more enjoyable; it’s more fun,” he says. “I can play with it a bit, bring in colors that I usually don’t use as much, like purples in the shadow areas. That creates more contrast. At the same time, I don’t need to get into rendering all the branches because the viewer can easily interpret what I am trying to get across. I really want the viewer to fill in the blanks, let their imagination pull in what they view in those areas. I don’t have to be so literal.”


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