June 2021

Two years ago, I snapped a photo of the roofline of a house in the neighborhood. It caught my
eye as a potential painting for a number of reasons. I love the 1937 architecture in my historic
neighborhood: simple massed cottages in a classic Americana style. This neighborhood holds
special meaning as a New Deal funded initiative and constructed by the Greatest Generation.
Now four decades later, as the future character of the neighborhood seems up for grabs,
efforts are underway to honor this heritage; and consequently, the appeal of the homes I see
around me daily is ever-present. The composition I observed on that particular day spoke to
me, as well. The interesting angles and corners that showcased the sunlight and shadow
pattern and the warm colors juxtaposed against the cool azure sky created unique geometric
patterns. I painted this small study in 2019 calling it Azure Sky. I was rather fond of it at the
time and tucked it away. I was really new to oil and acrylic at that time. I am still a novice and
learning today but I am two years more experienced and wondered how I could improve it.

When one of my Patreon oil painting mentors offered to review the paintings of some of his
Patreon followers and make observations for improvements, I submitted my 6 X 6 acrylic
version of Azure Sky from 2019 for his comments. The seasoned experience and observant
eye of a professional helped identify many things I would not have noted on my own. While the
compositional elements were noted as instrumental in the painting, my mentor made some
pointed suggestions:

1. Grade the value and temperature of the blue of the sky: Cooler and darker at the top,
warmer and lighter near the horizon.
2. Push the warmth in the sunlit areas such as the face of the house and the sun-facing side
of the chimneys.
3. Alter the composition to move the smaller chimney away from the edge of the composition.
4. Lighten the window in shadow and create areas of shadow within the window.
5. Group flowers in the shrub into clusters and suggest them more loosely.
6. Simplify and eliminate small details.

I’m fairly certain I would not have done some of these things without prompting. What I thought
was a fairly strong contrast of warm and cool colors at the time, appears less so in the finished
work of the 2019 version. So, I made a deliberate attempt to push the contrast of warm and
cool colors farther than I would have if left to my own judgement in the 2021 painting. I pushed
the grade of the sky beyond my comfort zone as well. It definitely made an impact.