Saturday 29 November 2008

Landscape by David

Here's David's beautiful addition to Vivien's "Landscape" sketchbook. Vivien suggests that each artist provide a landscape from their "local area - country, city or your backyard". David responded with an interpretation of the three ancient standing stones at Machrie Moor on the Isle of Arran. He uses a rich analogous color scheme of purples, blues, and green with a complementary surge of red and orange slicing directly across the composition at the eye level of a visitor contemplating the stones. This bright line that renders the drawing neatly in half is made even more compelling because it seems to emanate directly from the corner of the roof of Penshaw Monument in Steph's contribution on the previous pages. David sets up a wonderful interplay of warm and cool colors, giving his landscape a dynamic charge that lends itself exceptionally well to the mystical nature of this prehistoric site.
It's interesting to me that - following Viven's lovely field of flowers - Steph and David both contributed stunning landscapes with historic elements that are awesome in scale and symbolism. I'm looking forward to working in this book and am planning an addition with a very local subject. Hopefully, I'll be able to maintain the richness and vibrancy of the work by Vivien, Steph, and now David - this is a dauntingly beautiful book!

5 comments:

Gesa said...

Cool... nice lines, sense of direction. Brian - I wonder if we had seen Steph's work in that moley, and if not, if you could post that too. I wondered if everybody could check for the moleys Casey sent on. I certainly haven't seen Steph's work in my moley which is now with Lorraine, and maybe there's some others missing?

Brian McGurgan said...

Hi Gesa! You can see Steph's addition to Vivien's book here: http://moleskineexchange.blogspot.com/2008/11/just-like-busses.html

laura said...

Wow, this a beautiful example of making something more, something personal and evocative of what you see--an ability I'd like to emulate. I have a plein air painting teacher who puts her stool down anywhere and makes a great painting, while all of us students waste half the day trying to identify the perfect subject: the subject alone can't do it--it's what you being that makes it art!

daviddrawsandpaints said...

From what I see on your own blogsite Laura, you make a pretty good job of making personal and evocative images yourself. Thanks for commenting :o)

Brian: What a fantastic write up - thank you (the cheque is in the post). It reads as though you really enjoyed it!

And Gesa: It's been a long time since I did anything considered 'cool'. Thanks!

vivien said...

beautifully summed up and I agree with every word - I'm so happy this is in my book and thrilled that my book is on the move again :>)

Do you know the work of David Prentice? he uses flashes of colour like that to separate time zones and elements in his large canvasses - I love the way you've used it here.

lovely work Laura on your blog