Art: "Legacy of Life ~ Robert LeBlanc" (Painting by Sharon Bourque).
Update: March 20, 2024:
Final touches to finish the painting were completed. Digital images were taken and edited, and first printing tests have been ordered as of March 29. Copies of the painting will be made available to family on flat or folded cards as a keepsake, and will include an image of the back of the painting where Bobby signed it, before he passed. (Only family will have these special printed copies). Once family has these items, prints of the painting will be made available to others (without those 'family only' special printed parts). Bobby had/has many friends from coast to coast, as he did trucking for many years. An online way of ordering prints will be made available, for non-family people (friends etc) who want a print copy of the painting and prices will be posted for those orders. Please stay tuned. First-printing tests have been ordered and are pending arrival and inspection.
Blog: November 4, 2023.
Art: "Legacy of Life ~ Robert LeBlanc" (Painting by Sharon Bourque).
I have been working on a painting of the Pointe Du Chene Lighthouse, (New Brunswick).
This was a special painting to honour the 'Legacy of Life' of Robert LeBlanc (my Uncle Bobby who passed away, November 4). All the birds in the sky represent him, his kids, his step-child, their moms, and his 14 grandkids. That is alot of birds. The painting was worked on as far as possible for him to see it, before he passed. He was fond of this lighthouse as it was where he swam as a child, and where he choose for a site for memorial. I collaborated with him on the painting. These photos are at sunset, on the same day he died. The colours in the sunset are similar to the ones in the painting. The golden light reflects off the lighthouse as well. My mother is here with me holding the painting with the sun setting behind us. Further development of the painting is still in progress.
Painting was brought to the wharf at sunset, November 4, 2024, on the day of his passing. The sunset colours and the pre-painted art show similar colours. Visited the wharf to photograph more details from the wharf and back buildings, to help with follow up painting touch ups. Final painting touch ups finished March 20, 2024.
For Art Students (Art analysis):
Composition Notes:
The wharf is drawn in triangular in shape, thus avoiding the 'stripe lines' that can happen in landscapes. This splits sections of the image in triangular zones. EG: The bottom water area, wharf, and distanced water that leads to the horizon line, all have triangular shape impressions. This theme of triangles is also found in the top of the lighthouse where triangles bring the building to a top point. These '3 point shapes' are thus echo'd in both building and landscape. The birds create a sense of distance as some are larger in the foreground and the v-shaped flying patterns of birds are much smaller, depicting being further in the distance. Points of perspective include the top of the lighthouse to draw down the 3D shape of the building, the sun in the horizon line creating shadow line directions, and a "shifting viewpoint" where the building on the far right side appears to be directly facing us, while each of the other buildings angle more away from us, angled gradually towards the sun. Shading was used to create a sense of distance. Shadows fall from the buildings across the wharf pavement. Darker colour shades are in the foreground towards the bottom of the canvas, and lighter colour hues and highlights are found in the distance (glowing in the atmosphere across the distance and reflecting on the water surface), higher up on the canvas. This creates an impression of distance as things get lighter as they get closer to the horizon and the main light source. When light is in the background, the foreground appears more in shadow. This also lends to the impression of distance, when the light is 'over there', and objects are darker 'over here'.
Art Principles:
Although there is a sense of 'end of season' with no tourists in the image, there is still movement and life found in the birds that have risen to fly into the sunset. There are also movements in the waves. Movement in time is also depicted by the sunset. The art has a restful and reflective presence, but still shows a contrast of action in the moving waves that are closer to the foreground. There is a balance of both warm and cool colours. The warmer shades are in the sunset drawing your eyes to the horizon. There is variation found in the building forms, bringing many shapes and 3D forms together for visual interest. There are many repeating line-elements found which create patterns in the buildings for the siding and wood. Windows have pairings as well, as a pattern that repeats.
Colours and painting techniques:
The colour wheel approach was used, where paint colours for red, yellow, blue, white and black were used, and all other colour hues were mixed from these. Shading values were made use of in the gray shading tones. The light in the windows of the lighthouse shows that values are being brought into the colour mixing with white (to desaturate the intensity of the colours), but also shade is being created with red and highlights are created with yellow, in the light variations. In the lighthouse windows are 3 colour tones, gradually moving from pale yellow to pale orange, to a darker orange, as the windows move away from the light source. Complimentary colours are in the blue and orange hues in the sky. Forms are shaded according to where the light sources are. Besides the sun that is setting, there are other more subtle light sources as well, such as light reflection from water and light from within the buildings. As for 'colour temperatures', the warm hues are at the horizon line, and the cooler blue shades are found furthest away from it at the very top and bottom of the canvas.
- Sharon Bourque, Artist.
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