Barn Through the Poplars...

I've been driving by this barn for almost 4 months on my way into work.  The barn lies behind a row of poplar trees.  It's rather a common scene here in Iowa to have a row of poplar trees on one side of the large buildings on a property.  The trees grow fast and serve as a wind break; especially during the cold snowy times of year. 

The sight of the hidden barn rather reminds me of a Bev Dolittle painting.  I love Dolittle's paintings with the horses and Indians in amongst the winter landscape and birch trees.  You really have to hunt to see the horses and Indians through all of the trees.  Seeing this barn day after day made me think and roll the thought around in my head of challenging myself to paint something like that only with my own touch and my level of experience in that style of art. I will admit that I am not as detail orientated as she is and it would take me years to get to that level.  But I thought it might be fun to play on the concept of the Bev Dolittle style. And so here it is, a painting that I call "A Barn Through the Poplars"...

Photo: "A Barn Through the Poplars"; a watercolor on 13" x 21" paper.

Right away I decided to place the barn scene that I painted to be among the colorings of a sunset.  I thought that it was more in fitting with a Bev Dolittle sense of style.  The red color of the barn would be more lost in among the skies of a colorful sunset.  I also chose to keep the cornfield in front of the populars and barn in a loose feel and not be tied down to more of the details that  should exist in a foreground of a painting.  I wanted the whole focus to be the trees and the slight glimpse of the barn peeking out behind them. 

Photo: A Barn Through the Poplars in progress.

I would love to hear any feedback you may have and thanks for stopping by.