Painting: "The Gate"

 Painting:  "The Gate"

The Gate, oil on canvas, 61cm x 45cm

Background and Context

I am continuing to explore the use of colour in my paintings. I have already done a number of tonal studies in monochrome on the subject of water and canals and I am now using that work as a foundation to build on. The concentration on light and dark areas focused attention on tone which I can now transcribe into how I want a particular work to look and feel. Colour (or lack of it) is a great indicator of mood and atmosphere.

At the beginning of the first Lockdown last year, I went for a number of local walks from my home. My destination was the Market Weighton Canal, but as I walked along the path to get there, I passed the local ponds. The path was narrow and overhung with trees. Being early summer and a sunny, hot day, the light was very bright. As I glanced to the right there was a gap in the tree-lined route with a gate and fence, which cordoned off the pond from the track. Through the darkness, there was a gap, through which I could see the glistening surface of the pond and the view beyond. I was excited by what I saw because of the strong silhouette of the the gate and tree to the right. Fallen leaves from the autumn shone bright orange on the water's edge. I took a photograph to remind me of the moment.

I chose this view as an exercise in the use of colour due to the dramatic contrast in colour between the foreground and middle ground/background. Dappled light filtered through onto the undergrowth and across some shallow steps to the gate. I could remember the scene quite well. 

Process

I worked on a soft grey/brown background which I had mixed from ultramarine, burnt umber and titanium white. I included these colours in my palette, together with yellow ochre, permanent yellow medium, permanent red medium and quinacridone rose - a small number of colours to work from and mix as required.  

I started with the light areas, such as the sky and pond and the bright pockets of colour. I then overpainted with the shapes of the silhouettes, mixing dark shades of brown and greens. I let the wet paint dribble down in parts to recreate the look and feel of water, and to loosen up the picture. I left areas of the canvas blank to let the painting breathe.

The Gate, detail

Outcome

The exercise gave me the opportunity to work with contrasting/complimentary colours. I think that the contrast of the bright orange and dark green works well. The dark shapes in the foreground stand out against the lighter shades of the pond and sky, which have a slight orange touch to them. I have not managed to capture the effect of the trees to the left. They displayed soft, yellow new leaves, but I wonder if I should have added more shape and colour over the tree branches. I decided to leave the painting as it was however, as I felt I could lose some of what I had already achieved. On the whole, I think that the painting works well and was good practice for the use of colour.