Island Slipway #11
Original Acrylic by Peter Ferber $1900
image size 14×11″ framed size 18.5×15.5″
To purchase, please visit The Art Place, 9 N. Main Street, beginning on February 27, doors open at 9:30 a.m. or call (603) 569-6159 phone lines open at 9:40 a.m.
This scene was an afterthought. There’s a more sweeping lake view off to the right that I was focused on–which will make its appearance in this summer’s show. But I noticed the light striking this little point with the sailboat pulled up and the interesting profile of the trees standing out against the dark-shadowed shore beyond, and thought it would make a nice little piece, too. This is on Dolly Island, off the western shore of Bear Island. I decided to try a slightly new approach here, inspired by my favorite method of working in watercolor–which I mentioned in the description for “Sandwich Perennials” in this show, using glazes and then pulling out highlights. I started with a sepia rendering that laid out the darks and lights. Then I added layers of translucent color to create an over all, subtle patina in warm tones. Next, I went back into the darkest areas with color–brighter near the center and fading out toward the edges. Finally, I got to the real rewarding part of bringing out the highlights–which is like turning on the sunlight–making the whole thing come to life–and light. It’s amazing to see how relatively few strokes it takes to achieve this effect. At this point I also added the blue tones in the ripples on the water–giving it a wet feeling, and in the sky–painting around the shapes of the treetops and concentrating it nearer the center, adding a dynamic and a focus to the composition. I find I enjoy discovering these interesting little vignettes as much as the broader, grander views we often focus our attention on.
Peter Ferber