Sunday, August 31, 2008

"Day's End"

I tried to get the same relaxed peacefulness of the last painting.
Different colors this time, but I think the mood is similar.



"Day's End", 11" x 14" oil on linen, Frank Gardner © 2008
Private Collection

42 comments:

Rhonda Hartis Smith said...

Beautiful painting, so peaceful! Your composition is very nice too.
Thanks,
Rhonda

Anonymous said...

Sorry to sound so repetitive, but I like this painting and the one below. I like them all. ;-) I can see here that the owner and animal are ready to head home.

Paz

Frank Gardner said...

Thank you Rhonda!

Frank Gardner said...

Thanks Paz. It does not sound repetitive to me.
Thanks for visiting.

eLIZabeth Floyd said...

Hi Frank, another wonderful painting. Love the long shadows and downward tilt of the heads for both the man and horse!

Frank Gardner said...

Thanks Liz, I like the downward tilt of their heads too.
He looks tired, but I think he is blocking the sun from his eyes with his cap as well.

Anonymous said...

Frank- I was immediately struck by the same things as commented on by Paz and e.floyd. The downturned heads of the days' end for horse and man.

And that late day golden hour sun that just glows, creating those long purple shadows.

When the same thing is evident to more than a few, you know you've achieved what you set out to.

Beautiful mood, and painting.
Again.

Dean H. said...

Good one, Frank. To me, this piece reflects how an artist often feels upon completion of a difficult painting. Misson accomplished...done for today.

Billy Guffey said...

I like everything about this one Frank. I'm partial to this type of theme. The sky is really nice. As is the distant treeline, the skyholes on the big trees, and the remnants of hay in the field. But the man and animal are wonderfully done. Highlights are just right.

Anonymous said...

well, i like how the man's head is above the center division of land and sky. and opposed to others' interpretations, i think he looks lively in his gait, even if the horse is obviously not moving fast...liveliness at a slow pace. i like that a lot! and, the sky has such a restfulness about it compared to the firey field. and, of course, i am drawn to the stalk stack compositionally smack dab in the middle of the tree and smack dab in the middle of that horizon line.
solveg
: )

Jack Riddle said...

Wow, Frank--this piece is completely satisfying in every way. I love the gestures in man and horse, the late afternoon red "glow," the long purple shadows, the solitude---one of my favorites of yours (so far).

Frank Gardner said...

Thanks Bonnie, I really appreciate your comments.
I have to say though that it is a burro, not a horse. I see that Liz and Solveg thought the same thing.

So, does your comment of "more than a few" apply in this case and mean that my burro looks like a horse?
Oh well... : )

Frank Gardner said...

Hi Dean. Yeah, whew... done. I agree.

Frank Gardner said...

Thanks Bill. I had hoped that the sky would come across better in the photo and then posting it to blogger it seems to lose a little more subtleness. There are lots of subtle color changes that dont come across. I was really trying to catch a certain type of sky and light, and I am not sure it reads as well as it does in person.

Frank Gardner said...

Thanks Solveg. Glad you noticed that about the head. It is the area of highest contrast, light and dark and I was hoping it would draw attention to the gesture of his head.

I hoped that mass of the stack / tree /man would balance out the mass and weight of the BURRO.

Thanks!

Frank Gardner said...

Thanks Jack, now you all have me worried about my horse looking burro.

eLIZabeth Floyd said...

Hi Frank - either way burro or horse, the painting is great! I thought it was a horse because of the longer neck to head ratio. I always think of burro's having thick short necks with broader heads then horses. Since the painting is a side profile, and the head is down, so the neck would be more elongated than otherwise... just my 2 cents...

Frank Gardner said...

No problem Liz.
I have been staring at it all morning and re measuring. I think the overall height of the burro compared to the man is right and if you look at where the rope around the neck is compared to the bottom side of the neck...

I can tell by the wooden cargo/ saddle system they use here for a burro and never a horse, but I don't expect anyone else to know that.

Any opinions on that type of stuff is always welcome. It is good to know how others "see" what we have done.

Anonymous said...

Frank- as I was looking some more after I sent my comment, I thought the horse looked small in relation to the man, and having grown up in NYC, horse/burro nuances escaped me.

Yes, tis a burro.

Thank you for stating the difference and as said here- either way, it's a beauty.
The variations of change in direction of the brush strokes ( another thing that's easier to see in the enlargement ), gives great rhythm to the surround the figures (man and burro! )

Anonymous said...

my "horse" label is from absolute burro ignorance, not from your depiction!!!

i read your comment about the sky subtleties - i looked closely at the sky, because it had a noticeably different "way" to it that many of your skies. i'm glad you wrote what you did in your response to Bill - now i know that i looked up close for a reason, and that what "seemed" to be there really IS there, even if it didn't come across on the computer screen.

again, remove my "horse" label from the anxiety food chain. as for me, i'll google "burro" and edify myself!!!
solveg

Barbara Pask said...

Hi Frank, I don't know what I could say that hasn't been said. I just wanted to say I like everything about this painting, the subject, the colors and the feel of it.

Elizabeth said...

I have really enjoyed your recent paintings.
This latest is indeed very peaceful.
The chickens are wonderful - one of my favorite creatures.
And the family passing by - I think you were in Morocco for that one - such very similar landscape.
Greetings from New York.

Frank Gardner said...

What? No burros in the big apple?
Thanks Bonnie.
I have been thinking about painting this scene for a while and how I would best go about it. I am hoping to paint a larger version before long.

Frank Gardner said...

Solveg! not a burro person either? That gives me an idea to do a post on the differences of painting a burro and a horse one of these days.
Yes, I tried to get the sky "right" while still having it play a supporting role to the main guys in this one.

Frank Gardner said...

Thanks Barb.

Frank Gardner said...

Hi Elizabeth. Thanks!
REALLY? That one reminds you of Morocco? I would not have thought that you had that type of landscape over there. See? One more reason for me to visit over there one of these days.
I'm glad you stopped by.

Dean H. said...

I just had a thought...it does make quite a difference if the animal in question is a horse or burro. The man is taking his tired ass home. ;)
Sorry, just had to contribute that. I love the painting.

Frank Gardner said...

Hah ha... Good one Dean. Really made me laugh out loud!

Anonymous said...

burro - a much funner word than "horse" to say over and over!

but, i keep looking at this painting and the kind of glaringly bright light that is in it, despite the peaceful sky and the long shadows - and seeming darkness of very late afternoon. the field is generating heat and light, it seems. very "cool" to look at!

and, despite the realism of the horse-oops-burro (no burros, or is it "burri" in the plural - ha ha - here in minnesota), there's a kind of fantastical surrealism going on - not in strict artform definition, but in aura. this is a really magnetic painting, to me.

yesterday, i pulled out an old box of van gogh greeting cards, and while there's nothing van gogh-esque about this painting, something jumped out at me as similar....can't quite place it - but i like it. i know ol' vince isn't too popular with a lot of painters, so i want to make sure that my comment comes off in the right way, in case you're in that category. it's not LIKE his paintings, but that transporting effect of his landscapes is maybe what i'm seeing.....
hope that's okay.
but, either way, i love this painting - again, SO different from other paintings. magnetic is definitely a good adjective!!!
solveg

Marian Fortunati said...

The little hint of backlighting on the guy's head is perfection!

Your paintings tell such peaceful stories... they stay with you.
Be well.

Frank Gardner said...

Hi Solveg.
Very kind comments on my field. I thought of things like that when I painted the field, so I am glad someone enjoys it so much. Makes all the effort worthwhile.
plural is burros.
Actually, parts of the field ARE kind of Van Gogh like in a tighter thinly painted way.
I DO like Vincent and think of his work a lot. i.e."The Sower" title on a painting from a few months ago.
He painted a lot of fields from similar slightly elevated vantage points and the fields that are just stubble of dried corn stalks around here in the winter are very Van Gogh like. For me at least.
I don't know any painters that don't like Van Gogh. I might now after writing this. Hah hah.
I would say that a lot of my landscapes of Mexico are an attempt to paint Van Gogh like landscapes with a Monet touch. Does that make sense?

Thanks.

I went down to this place, and that of "Quiet Passing" this afternoon with the family. It is SO grown over with green right now that the corn was far over my head. Maybe I'll get a photo up one of these days comparing it to the dry season. Quite a difference.

Frank Gardner said...

Thanks Marian. I love backlighting.
"they stay with you" is a very kind compliment.

Christine Mercer-Vernon said...

hi frank, i've looked at this three times now and each time have struggled with what to say...i am really struck by this painting. i can see and feel the warm drenching setting sunlight. this is truly a beautiful, quiet painting. i could look at this painting every day and be instantly calmed.

Frank Gardner said...

Thanks Christine!!!!
Your kind words make me very happy.

As a side note to everyone, I have added a new post with pictures of how the scenes in these last two paintings looked TODAY.

Anonymous said...

I can't recall where I'd read, recently, that Van Gogh is not admired by "true" artists.......that struck me as odd, but I thought, "what do I know - I'm not a 'true' artist!!!" But, when I drew and painted and studied art, years ago, I was always so amazed at his vision - one of the paintings in my greeting card box was an orchard scape. Just fabulously wild with spring growth. I looked at it feeling so sad that he wasn't respected except by the lowly like me. I can't recall whose blog had the article, this summer/spring about a woman relative who championed his work and is basically responsible for his paintings surviving and being raised to a visibility level that enabled them to endure for posterity.....anyway, I have been feeling so grateful for that woman, after seeing those landscape paintings, again, in my little box of cards. Those fields and skies and trees - just pouring spirit out all over the place. When I was a child, my grandma gave me a jigsaw puzzle of one of his orchard paintings...I did that puzzle over and over, loving to see the painting come together. And, my family travelled a lot when I was a child, so I got to see his museum in Amsterdam........and his paintings in museums all around the world. And, his landscapes are my favorites.
When I commented, I didn't want to be saying something to you that was negative, so I veiled my comparison a little bit, focusing on the things I was excitedly admiring in your work more than on the comparison to V's work.......but I'm really awed that you had that Van Gogh/Monet vision all along!!!

Long comment, but, well, there it is.

Solveg

p.s. It went from July mugginess to October dryness in about an hour, yesterday afternoon (25-degree temp drop that fast, and total wind/pressure/humidity change along with it, of course), and today, it is autumn. Presto chango!

Frank Gardner said...

Well I admire him a lot Solveg. Just wish I could lay the paint on as thick sometimes. : )
I saw the post about the relative who championed his work too, but can't recall where either.

Veiled comparison or not, your comments are always insightful into how others see my work.
Your comments mean a lot!

Ambera said...

Absolutely beauty. I wish could attend your workshop, the locations would be a dream to paint. This painting is incredible, it's a moment on the verge of passing...very arresting and engaging for the viewer..

Frank Gardner said...

Thanks Ambera. It would be great if you could make it down one day for a class or a visit. I know you would add a spark to any class.

David Lobenberg said...

Love the warmth of the oranges and long cast shadows. Good show, Frank!

Frank Gardner said...

Thanks David!

Alicia PadrĂ³n said...

Aww I love this one, I think is one of my favorites.. hahaha I keep saying that with your paintings.. I know :o)

The composition is perfect. The quiet bond between him and the burrito is beautiful. I could look at this painting for hours... and the colors are wonderful too!
His pose is so attractive too, the way he is tilting his head is very real and meaningful. Wonderful piece!!

Frank Gardner said...

Ha ha... you do say that a lot Ali. Thanks!