– 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, Michel Normandeau’s “Erable en Automne.”

Lead Image: “Erable en Automne,” by Michel Normandeau, oil, 36 x 12 in.

Not too many artists can get away with a format that is one-by-three. It is difficult to keep the eye moving around the painting with so much distance to travel. This simple subject keeps your eye moving with well-placed tree trunks and sky holes that are a variety of shapes. The artist has used a nice mix of complements, countering the overall greenness of the painting with eye-catching spots of warm orange. There is just a hint of light direction as the tree reaches for the sun.


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