Grand Island Painting

Kath Schifano oil painting, 36x48 Grand Island NY

Nearly finished, this is a 'grand' island painting, as I have been painting it pretty steadily for two months. I put off plein air days with my NFPAP & Paletteer friends to get it painted, but attention was needed! It turns out that choosing this house view included detailed background, middle & foregrounds & broke all the rules I usually paint with.

Whenever I went to shoot reference photos the guest house & pool were in use, people were having fun & using the space. That influenced me; as an 'architecture portrait' artist I wanted to include all the important details. The owners have restored, planned & organized their home & gardens carefully, even the paths work well to connect the areas. What could I leave out?

A grand part of this is the canvas size, at 4 x 3 feet it was like having another person in the studio. I had to walk around it, address its location with the lighting & my paints, get away from it to evaluate from a distance. I especially enjoyed my heavy wood easel & the wheels on my chair as I rolled back & forth to the palette. When it is completed & mounted in the frame it will be 5 feet wide by 4 tall.

Summer on the River  36" by 48" oil on gallery mount canvas