Friday, May 28, 2010

Dawn at Tsegi Overlook

Dawn at Tsegi Overlook
Canyon de Chelly
16X40, oil/stretched linen

©2010


Hi Everybody,

This is my latest painting, still wet even. You don't need to go down into Canyon de Chelly to get some truly incredible views. Tsegi Overlook is an incredible vista any time of day, but it's in the early morning that it truly sings. This is the perfect spot to see atmospheric perspective at work.

7 comments:

Unknown said...

Spectacular!

Ann Rogers said...

Overwhelming beautiful! Your canvas size is perfect for this panorama of perfect light and shadows.

David Westerfield said...

Really great. I feel like I'm there.

Rusty Jones said...

Absolutely magnificent!

Steve Atkinson said...

Thank you Vicky Ann David and Rusty!! it's feedback like yours that makes blogging so worthwhile.

Anonymous said...

Hi Steve,

Very impressive work. The thing I like the best is how monumental yet elegantly simple your composition is. Everything adds up to a strong descriptive statement of the canyon without being too particular. The feeling of the warmth of the left side receiving light contrasting the right side in the shadow is very successful. I am tackling a very large painting of a distant vista of the Sandia mountain valley in NM. There is also the contrast of light and shadow across the valley. It is very very hard for me to work away from the spot back here in Maryland. Wish I could go back out there and take a peak at the Sandias. Just wondering how you manage your working method on these large formal paintings which still have so much of the "plein air feel". Admiringly, Jeanean

Steve Atkinson said...

Thanks Jeanean, I know what you mean about wishing you could take a peak back at the spot you are painting. I actually feel like I'm able to do that by referring to the paintings I did on site at Canyon de Chelly. These studies are so incredibly valuable in reminding me what the values and atmospheric perspective were like. Photos are great for giving you the details, but the values in them are all screwed up. The more you paint on location, the better chance you'll have when it comes to infusing convincing light into larger, more ambitious pieces! I hope that helps just a little bit.


Best of Luck, Steve