Whittlesey - In Progress

Above is a painting I worked on over a couple of days. This was day one, mostly waiting for things to dry; primer coat and thick gesso layer, into which I carved my composition with a knife. The primer layer was a mixture of gesso, red, orange and blue paint I had left over from a demo, perfect for creating a little heat, which is what I hoped to capture in this piece .

The image below is the sketch I worked from, created 'en plein air' July last year during a pit stop on the way back from Peterborough. The area is near the railway station, at the back of some industrial buildings.

I liked the lone tree on the bank, I have recently realised my paintings tend to have a lonely air about them, not unhappy but lonely, even those created in warmer hues seem to be quite solitaire...Hmmmm!...Strange then that art has always represented an escape for me, somewhere to be alone...escape...Perhaps my subconscience is reflecting this?...Art can be so revealing, can't it?
Anyway...I had every intention of emphasising my lonely tree in the painting and lowering it from the horizon so it appeared more submissive against the turbines.

I'll upload the rest of the progress shots shortly.