Never Paint a Sunset

An art teacher once advised me to “never paint a sunset.” He based his advice on his theory that some things in nature are so beautiful that no artist, in any medium, could improve upon the beauty of such a thing. I’ve considered that advice often, but am not sure I agree with it. Those words from the past are conjured up often, particularly in the Fall, when New England’s foliage is at peak, and the simplest drive down the road is a drive through blasts of color.

This photo (above) was taken yesterday on my way through Groton, MA, on the outskirts of the town center. Pulling over to snap this picture, that teacher’s words came to mind, almost convincing me to not pull over, as capturing some reference for a painting about something of such natural beauty would be a waste of time. But I took the picture anyway (choosing, again, to ignore his advice), and a painting will soon be underway.

The painting at top, “Sky Blue” was done over this past winter, based on a similar fall scene encountered on a similar drive, and though titled for the matching barn/sky color, is equally about the explosive fall colors of New England, and while it’s not a sunset, it is a subject worthy of attempting to capture in paint.