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, John Kilroy‘s “Toward Stellwagon Too.”
This painting has a wonderful texture that imparts the feeling and movement of the grasses and water. The artist has utilized a full shadow in the foreground to draw your attention back to the distant shore. The small snippets of subtle light act as stepping stones to lead you into the painting. The hard edge of the illuminated shore sets up the focal point while the soft surrounding edges help to support it. While resting on the shore, only then do you notice the hidden house as a secondary interest.
