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“Art Journey: My Paintings and Perspectives"
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"Invisible in the Haystacks" Impasto Landscape Painting
Each layer of paint in 'Invisible in the Haystacks' tells a story of a moment spent under the open sky. The textured strokes convey the raw energy of the outdoors, inviting the viewer to feel the wind and warmth of the sun. Using a palette knife, I shaped the land and sky, transforming color into tangible texture. The sunlight highlights every ridge, making the scene almost touchable.
Finding Meaning in Abstract Landscape Art
Approach abstract landscapes the way you’d savor “Another Year Gone By”. step back, let the visuals breathe, and allow the paint’s nuances to swirl around your senses. The heart of this painting offers a textural “tsunami” of natural energy, proving that it’s not just about depicting a hill—it’s about how lines and colors come together to truly speak to us.
When Painting a Landscape See the Land Differently
From the Earth strips away color to reveal the raw patterns of farmland. Black and white allow the lines, contrast, and textures to shine, capturing the rhythm of row crops, the weight of the sky, and the structure of the land in its purest form. The absence of color makes the landscape's structure more powerful, with farm fields stretching to the horizon, their lines pulling the eye forward. The sky, scraped and textured, mirrors the roughness of the land, presenting farmland through form rather than hue. Painting this piece felt like working the land itself, with a palette knife scraping and layering the paint.
Capturing the Spirit of Agriculture in Paint
"Facing West" captures the essence of farmland life, honoring the connection between land and people with textured layers and bold colors that pulse with the same energy that drives the fields. More than a landscape, "Facing West" is a tribute to the farmers and the resilient relationship they hold with the land—every stroke is a thank-you to their labor and love. This painting is about more than what the fields look like; it’s about how they feel—alive, enduring, and tied to the heartbeat of the land, honoring both the beauty and hard work behind it.
What a Tiny Painting Taught Me About Scale
I've always leaned toward painting large. Most of my landscapes measure at least 5 by 6 feet, with some stretching to 4 by 8 feet. Enter my new obsession: small-scale impressionistic landscapes. These pieces are tiny compared to what I’m used to—think 5 by 7 inches instead of feet. Despite its size, that painting felt enormous and practically dominated his living room. How did the artist pull that off? I still don’t know.
Painting Autumn: the Season’s Changing Beauty
Painting fall outdoors feels like capturing a fleeting moment in motion. Each brushstroke brings the unpredictability of the season to life, reflecting that hesitant quality—the unsure, unfolding beauty that makes autumn feel alive. With thick, impasto strokes, I let the deep, warm colors of fall spill across the canvas. It’s more than copying nature; it’s celebrating the bold arrival of amber and gold against the memory of summer’s green, each stroke a burst of change. Embracing fall’s tentative nature, my paintings capture its quiet start and the energy in every fading leaf. It’s raw, a bit messy, and all about bringing autumn’s hesitant hand to life.
“The Story of Creating “Air Going South’”
Standing in front of my easel while working on ‘Air Going South,’ I feel a deep connection to the creative process. Each stroke of the palette knife tells a story of choices made in the moment, blending intention with freedom. This abstract landscape painting by John Robertson captures the beauty of exploration and the courage to embrace the unexpected, revealing a scene that feels both familiar and new.