Pump House in Evening Shadows

Oil (handmade) on linen.
This painting represents an ideal view of the Pump House, built in 1882, in Richmond, VA. After many trips on-site to make color studies and perspective drawings, I began to combine all my notes in the studio, leaving room for creativity and a splash of imagination where needed. The overall scope of the panorama posed a challenge to establish a cohesive perspective, as the far left and right is, in reality, mostly in the periphery of vision. The interplay of textures among clouds, rock, water and foliage provided rich subject matter for designing a composition full of echo and contrast. My intention is to compel the viewer into the shadows and across the tall grass into the dark forest, from where the historic building can be admired, and feeling a soft breeze traveling down the canal.