August 30th, 2015 – New Painting- ‘Song in the Clay Springs’.
by Rob Smith, Jr. on Aug.30, 2015, under Illusration
This is my newest watercolor painting, ‘Song in the Clay Springs’. The painting setting is the Clay Springs in western Seminole and northwestern Orange County. Today commonly referred to as Wekiva, or Wekiwa, Springs.
This is being commissioned by, Orange County School board member, Christine Moore to hang in the halls of Clay Springs Elementary School.
My first approach to this was to focus on the spring area and just decorate with critters. Then I rethought how little children today rarely see, something I grew up with, happy little animals. So I switched my approach. Tough for me because I want to educate about springs and water. I think children need to see happier pictures than the images today that lean to the grotesque.
Christine did want me to include the Florida black bear, used as a mascot for the school. Here’s the bear, a bunny, a raccoon and to help tie into water, a turtle. Also included is the state bird, the mockingbird and state butterfly, the zebra longwing. There’s also a block of limestone jutting from the ground that the turtle stands upon.
It took great restraint to add far more to this painting. I wanted to define so much more logical areas that would be in shadow. It would have make some areas so dark, that the image would have looked darker and the focus of the banjo playing bear would have altered. So, i back off. Way off. I’ve been trying to pay attention to other paintings and I’m sure learning more as I paint far more and with better materials.
I also got a bit more surreal with the background than I have ever done. The leaves don’t connect, the trees meander off, the leaves on the ground are ill defined. All to try and do something different for me – Keep the focus. Hopefully this works without the deep shadow needed under the limestone rock, for instance.
This will be available as a print soon.
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