Ghost Oak - Oil on Canvas, 24" x 30" (61cm x 76c) - Copyright 2010 George Allen Durkee
Ok, this is what a powerful oil painting should look like. I dont like overtly realistic paintings or high degree of impressionism. This one reflects strong imagination, bold use of colors and terrific blending. This is what I would like to achieve in my projects.
The artist has provided full demo if you are interested. Also, he says something beautiful:
The essence of this demonstration is to achieve color harmony by adding one particular color, called the mother color, in varying amounts to nearly all of the colors in the painting. In this painting, the mother color is the color of the dense fog. It will not be obvious in every brushstroke ofthe painting, but its subtle influence will be felt.
Become quiet within yourself to perceive the quieter color. To paint honestly, don’t stand back, as though you are independent from the subject. Place yourself in the landscape; sharpen your senses to find the essential truth of the subject. In finding a balance between this truth and the process of painting, your emotions and your process will match the mood of the subject. Then you will paint from a place of connectedness.