Tuesday, June 29, 2010

More Homer watercolors

images from artrenewal.com (link in my sidebar)

I am going to post some watercolors over the next few days. the ones above and below are from an trip to Cullercotes, England. He painted the fishermen's wives rather than their sons as he had in Gloucester years before. The painting above has a nice serpentine "S" flowing through its middle with the figures arrayed along it.

Homer traveled routinely to Florida in his later years, and on to the Bahamas from there. These jungle paintings are from the Florida trips. I think it as little strange to see such a Yankee painter working in Florida, but others did too. Innesss comes to mind.

These are great designs. Homer seemed to be able to knock out those palm trees without much adjustment time. He makes that look as if he had always painted them. Homer could really draw. He had to, being an illustrator working to deadline for twenty years. What great training that must have been.

Notice above how he counterbalances all of those vertical palms with that long horizontal bank at the bottom of the picture.

Homer was very intrigued by the silhouettes of the palms as they stood against the sky. He uses rhythm to capture their movement in the breeze. He has used counterchange in the stem of the palm as it goes from light at the bottom across the little tree and then dark against the sky above.




Tomorrow, on to the Bahamas

12 comments:

Philip Koch said...

Those first two watercolors of the women standing on the cliffs are just amazing. And the vertical watercolor of the lone palm tree is too. Great way to start one's morning!

Mary Byrom said...

I aways thought it was totally strange that Homer painted in Florida. Florida is flat as a pancake, has no autumn or snow and its always some shade of green. Then of course I find myself in Florida this past winter and saw what great work Homer did with what he found there. His palm trees are incredible! Another reminder, its all in your head, its not the landscape that determines the picture... and the gulf side has that vivid turquoise water on a clear day. It was a good experience and I did get some awesome sketches of the Yankees at a winter game. You never know what you are going to encounter.

Nita Leger Casey said...

I love all these watercolors , he did some great work!
They deserve a place in your blog!
I know Stape colored water !

Jesse said...

There was a Homer watercolor show at the MFA about 15 years ago. I remember just being amazed at how he did the palms. He would carve out the light side of the palm, by painting the dark side. That was a real break through for me.

billspaintingmn said...

Keep'em coming Stape! This is all new(s) to me!
When they say he hit a "Homer" in baseball and everybody cheers I'm going to think of Winslow!

kev ferrara said...

The poetry of his work is so sublime it often chokes me up.

Thanks.

Stapleton Kearns said...

Philip;
They really are extraordinary, each of them. I like the top one a lot.
.................Stape

Stapleton Kearns said...

Mary;
There are blog readers in Florida, I really should watch what I say.
...............Stape

Stapleton Kearns said...

Nita:
I think I deeply offended that women when I called it "painting with colored water"
..............Stape

Stapleton Kearns said...

Jesse;
I saw that show too. I was awestruck!
............Stape

Stapleton Kearns said...

bill;
Whats "baseball?"
..............Stape

Stapleton Kearns said...

kev;
It is surprising the effect a painting can have. At least a great painting.
............Stape