Why This Works: Keeping it Fun and Lyrical

– Jeanne Mackenzie reporting –

In this series, plein air painter and instructor Jeanne Mackenzie takes a look at new paintings by contemporary artists and points out why they succeed as painted images. This week, Denise Maxwell‘s “Sun Dapple Stream.” 

Lead Image: “Sun Dapple Stream,” by Denise Maxwell, 2016, oil on wooden panel, 11 x 14 in.

The artist shows a fun lyrical quality with movement and color. There is a definite water feel to the scene as she plays thin transparent layers with splashes of laden color. You definitely know where the focal point is but then have fun exploring the other elements in the painting. Who knew there were so many colors in the water — and it works.