I paint a lot of pathways – roads, streets, trails, etc. Pathways attract our eyes into a painting. A road is a visual element that leads our eye into the painting from foreground to background. When a pathway is rendered correctly, it creates the dimension of depth on an otherwise two dimensional canvas. So, a road or a trail makes for a useful compositional element.
But, pathways attract us for more than technical reasons. A pathway appeals to our senses. A trail or dirt road appeals to our sense of adventure. We want to walk that path or ride that trail. We want to be on that road taking in the experience of air, water and earth. To see light passing through leaves, to hear gravel crunching under our tires.
Nothing connects people that sense of adventure, like a work of art. People ask me all the time, “Is that the bike trail by the Arkansas River?” or “Where is that scene from? Is that path in The Rocky Mountain National Park?” Hearing those questions, makes me feel good. I know my paintings made someone remember a place through which they loved to travel, or a destination where they would love to go.
Sometimes it’s more about a connection to beauty than high adventure. It’s the feeling of pausing for a moment to realize a walk with your dog, when the azaleas are blooming and the morning light is just right, is a heavenly experience.
Take a look at my collection of pathways, trails and roads. Perhaps you may find something that connects to your sense of adventure or your sense of beauty. Order your prints on archival paper, canvas, acrylic, metal or wood and take 20% off before September 1, 2020. Enter code word SUMMER at checkout.
-Matt
