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| santa fe ~ afternoon path ~ oil on canvas ~ copyright dawn chandler 2011 |
On the west edge of the property is an old road that’s become washed out and overgrown. My dog and I like to walk it when the shadows are long, in the early morning or, as here, in the late afternoon.
This is my favorite of last year’s late autumn paintings. Over the years I’ve struggled with so much that is represented in this painting: the volume of trees in general, the color of evergreens in particular, the volume and color of sage, the color of shadows, just the right shade of blue for the sky. Yet here, The Muse seemed to be smiling and allowed me to capture them all better than usual — and almost effortlessly at that. The paint feels fresh, not belabored. Probably could have teased out a few more colors in those darkest shadows…but it works as is.
If only every painting session could come together so well!